I find generally Mynmar girls are easier, tho my first was sent home on 4th day coz she didn't seem to be right frame of mind. Had used other nationalities to my frustration tho my 1st Indo helper was with us for more than 6 years. Bonded well with my kids.

My last Mynmar helper did reasonably well except she lost her b'frd & cldnt focus so let her go back after her contract. Current Mynmar helper works out very well - cooks well, clean, wash & iron well. She'll be studying for her Year 10 exams and she's hoping to enter uni one day.

The issue of whether trainable is dependent on individual candidates & attitudes. If they want the job enuf, if they are positive to learn & contribute rather than asking first what u can provide as eyers.

Communication can be an issue as u need loads of patience with new ones. Those experienced Mynmar girls are ideal IMHO. I find it difficult to trust Pino girls, except for the older generation. I've interviewed so many pinos & they're asking sky high fr >$700 to $900 for barely 4-5 years experience ones. These are probably spoilt by the likes of my 'rich' gfrds who just want the most experienced maid & willing to pay high to grab them. Nowadays, they even scrutinize if u can afford/provide wifi, personal room, etc. I worry abt taking them in & hv a diff set of social problems.

A domestic helper from Myanmar who had worked in Singapore for just 40 days felt unappreciated and in a moment of misguided rage, strangled her employer's 19-year-old daughter with a pillowcase.

The incident happened in a Trellis Tower condominium unit on Feb 18, 2017, at around 9.30am, reported Lianhe Wanbao. During the scuffle, both the accused, Su Hlaning Hnin and the victim, Ms Li fell onto the floor of the living room.

The process lasted for about five minutes, and Ms Li sustained multiple injuries on various parts of her body. At one point, she managed to escape and quickly ran into her room but was so afraid that she forgot to lock the door. Su followed and after calming herself down warned Ms Li not to tell her parents about the incident.

Ms Li hid in the toilet and sent a distress message to her parents, asking for help. Su denied harming the girl and claimed that the injuries on Ms Li were self-inflicted. After a seven-day trial, the judge found Su's account to be unconvincing, sentencing her to 22 weeks' jail.

Su subsequently filed an appeal in the High Court. The court heard that Su had started working for the family on Jan 10, 2017.

Ms Li and her parents claimed that they had never quarrelled with the maid, and found her work satisfactory. On the day of the incident, Ms Li's mother had brought her grandmother for a medical checkup and grocery shopping. Ms Li's brother was gone to a gym, leaving her and Su alone in the house.

She was using her computer at the dining table when the maid suddenly sneaked up from her left and wrapped a pillowcase around her neck. Su told her: "See, see." Ms Li could not comprehend the situation and looked up, but as she lifted her head, the grip on her neck tightened.

Instinctively, Ms Li attempted to push Su away and struggled as she stood up from her chair.

Ms Li said she was so focused on escaping, she did not notice whether they had fallen onto the floor first or hit the wall.

A medical examination revealed that Ms Li had suffered many bruises on her head, neck, abdomen, shoulders and various parts on the left side of her body.

A Myanmar domestic worker, who was allegedly nagged by her employer's mother-in-law every day, decided she had enough and wanted to leave. But instead of asking to be sent home, she mixed Dettol disinfectant into a cup of cereal drink made by the 65-year-old, a district court heard.

Yesterday, Mya Thet Wai, 24, was sentenced to five months' jail after she pleaded guilty to causing Madam Toh Sew Keok to drink the mixture at her employer's home in Tampines on April 6 this year. The maid had been working in the household since Jan 10 this year.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Chong Kee En said that Madam Toh made a cereal drink for herself in the kitchen that morning and covered the cup with a lid. She then went to the living room to feed her seven-month-old grandchild.

As she was feeding the baby, the maid took a small cup of Dettol disinfectant liquid and placed it on the kitchen table. After getting a pillow for the baby, she returned to the kitchen and poured the disinfectant into Madam Toh's cereal drink and put the lid back. Madam Toh then asked the maid to tend to the baby while she went to the kitchen to eat some bread. When she took the cereal drink, she immediately spat it out and rinsed her mouth repeatedly.

She called her daughter-in-law to tell her that someone had added something into her cereal drink. Madam Toh confronted the maid who denied it. When the maid's employer later returned, closed-circuit television footage was viewed and the police were called. The maid then admitted adding the disinfectant into the drink, saying she did not want to continue working as the victim "nagged at her frequently".

Pleading for leniency, Mya said in mitigation that she could not take the victim's daily nagging. She had hoped that by committing the act, her employer would send her back to Myanmar.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Winter: Abused by fellow countryman. Why MOM and media so lenient and nice to this foreign FDW's employer ..... or maybe PR? Employer's name not shown, picture not published. This bad Myanmese employer wasn't in limelight because news wasn't blown big as top story. Can I say MOM/media adores foreigners/foreign talents?

Singaporeans are targeted by own people, media and activists? Recently (happened the same month), there was a case of a Singaporean couple who is currently on trial for allegedly starving their Filipina domestic helper and gave maid poor living conditions. The couple is currently in spotlight, nobody can miss them and condemn how bad they are. The wife, "Chong tends to be "very obsessive with food" and had suffered from anorexia nervosa as a teen."

Personally, if MOM and activists want to ensure maids, especially new maids without off days are coping and living well with their employers, they should do spot check/house visits at least once a month. Maid agencies have been collecting easy money (more than $1500 per successful transaction) from FDWs and employers but are not liable for job mismatch or any abuse that arised due to their lack of after 'sales' service. Agencies just need to pocket our money and once the FDW has been handed over, they are free from any obligations, even if they have really made a mistake. In this "starvation" case, the agency, AC Toh Enterprises said the couple's ex-Indonesian maid, feedback she had poor food provided. AC Toh Enterprises was aware of such a clean freak or mentally ill employer, yet didn't do anything. Media mentioned Chong's sons ran away from such a weirdo mother.

Sentences passed tend to be harsh when the victims are domestic helpers, not forgetting the legal fees that are payable by employers. If FDW is the accused, she will most likely get a light sentence or probably go scot-free due to helpful and free-of-charge activists' die-hard support/donation. Read: Mentally ill FDWs and What Maids did

I am not siding this couple but just trying to highlight Sg Employers are severely dealt with by law and activists. Your name and face will be published so that people can remember/condemn for the rest of their lives, implicating their families too.... fair?

She arrived in Singapore ready to work so that her family in Myanmar could have a better life. Unable to speak English, domestic worker Ei Phyu Tun, 23, was excited to hear that her employers, who had a six-month-old baby, were also Myanmar nationals. It was the perfect home away from home.

Or so she thought.

Miss Tun, who started working for her employers in April this year, says the first two months were not bad. But the relationship changed quickly. "In late June, madam started beating me," Miss Tun claims in an interview with The New Paper on Sunday (TNPS) through a translator.

"The first time madam hit me was after she scolded me about washing the baby's milk bottle," she says. "She insisted that I didn't wash it even after I explained that I had. As I tried to explain further, she accused me of talking back to her. "That was the first time she slapped me across the face."

Miss Tun adds that "for a month and the half, madam used her hand to hit me". That, however, was only the beginning. She claims the physical abuse escalated quickly. She alleged her employer used a metal hanger and subsequently, a metal rod on her. Miss Tun never told her employer to stop because, she says, it would set her up for "harsher consequences". "The first time she hit me, it was so painful that I cried. When she saw me crying, she lashed out and hit me even more," she says.

"After it happened a few times, madam's mother would try and stop madam from hitting me. But whenever she intervened, madam would hit me even more. "Eventually, madam's mother also stopped intervening so that I wouldn't suffer extra."

On Sept 21, Miss Tun saw the best opportunity to escape the anguish. "I saw madam's mum looking after the baby while madam was in her room. I took my things as fast as I could and ran away. "I bumped into a resident of the block downstairs, and I asked her for help. When she saw the bruises on my body, she gave me $26 and told me to take a taxi to MOM (Ministry of Manpower) immediately," Miss Tun recounts. "After that, MOM made a police report, and I was later handed over to the Myanmar embassy," she says.

When the police report was made, Miss Tun says they took her statement and photos of her injuries. Miss Tun has to remain in Singapore until the investigations conclude. For now, she earns a small income by sewing Christmas decorations for HOME.

Although the domestic worker is unsure of her next move after investigations close, she does not see herself working for a new employer after the trauma she suffered. "I am sure there are better employers here in Singapore, but after what I went through, I am too scared to take the chance," she says. "I just want to go home."

By the numbers

No. of maids issued work permits

222,500 (2014)

214,500 (2013)

209,600 (2012)

No. of maid abuse cases in court

26 (2014)

14 (2012)

No. of cases in the past five years

90

Winter: Who is keeping track of Spore maids abusing Employers and/or their loved ones? I am sure nobody bothers! FDWs have all sorts of 'good reasons' to abuse or vent their anger for their 'unfortunate state'. Employers are left alone to fend for themselves and prove their innocence if faced with a liar.

Majority of the complaints related to emotional abuse.

The Ministry of Manpower says it receives about 2,000 foreign domestic worker-related complaints a year, from employers, foreign domestic workers and the public. This is less than 1 per cent of the overall foreign domestic workers population and most of their complaints involve salary disputes and illegal deployment.

Indonesian maid Supadmi Sidek has been with her employer for almost four years. She draws a salary of S$550 a month, what a new maid with no experience from her home country will earn from next year. When the increase kicks in, starting wages for Indonesian maids will be among the highest for foreign domestic workers in Singapore.

"I don't mind paying my maid her current salary at S$550 because she has the experience and she's been with us for a long time. But to pay a fresh maid at the same salary - that may not be justified, with their skills," said Ms Farzana Abdat, Ms Supadmi's employer.

While Farzana does not mind paying her maid a higher wage next year, not everyone might be willing to do so, especially when skills have not improved in tandem. "The Indonesian authorities imposed a system of 400 hours of training for fresh domestic workers who come in, but we do not see the impact of that 400 hours. In fact, we have seen the quality of the trainees dropping," said President of the Association of Employment Agencies (AEAS) K Jayaprema.

"That is a real concern for us, and AEAS will actually be taking this up with the Indonesian authorities to ensure that (if) you request for an increase in salary, then you must improve the quality of the domestic workers on par with this request."

The association said employers are increasingly turning to Myanmar as an alternative source country for maids. Maids from Myanmar made up about 4 to 5 per cent of foreign domestic workers here three years ago. Today, the figure is about 15 to 20 per cent. Meanwhile, the proportion of Indonesian and Filipino maids has fallen.

Ms Jayaprema added that it may no longer be an employers' market. Households needing childcare and eldercare have driven up demand around the region, and starting wages in Singapore are relatively affordable compared to places like Hong Kong and Taiwan, where employers dangle salaries of around S$750.

"Singapore is only paying S$500. Even if you increase it by S$50, it's still only S$550. There's still a gap of S$150 to S$200. So we see that Indonesia's policy is not just grabbed from thin air," said director of Nation Employment Desmond Chen.

"It is not really that cheap, frankly speaking, in Singapore. The difference is at the most S$50 or so, maybe S$100. More important is that you get someone who is willing to work for you, who is honest, sincere," said Mr Chua Kim Soon, who employs a maid from Myanmar.

The association said that ultimately, both the employer and the maid have to commit to a partnership that shows respect for the other party's needs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copied from forum.... by rachel20, in Aug 2015

I am a part time working mother, like many mothers, hiring FDW to help out. I would like to share my painful experience here so that people who read this may not suffer what i been through.

This year, i engaged this agency name: Joy Employment Services (also known as Joy Forever Employment Services) located in Bukit Timah Shopping Centre.

The agent recommend a transfer maid to me, FDW's Name is Han Ni Win (Passport no. MA543695) Looks decent when interview, although English can not make it. Agent ask me to be patience and give chance to transfer maid, since she has 9 months experience in Singapore, a little bit easier to train than New Myanmar Maids. I gave the chance and nightmare started.....

Han Ni Win, worked in my place for less than a month, throughout the period, not to comment too much on the standard of her work but the very basic requirement i hire a maid is to look after my 3 children age 7, 6 & 4. During her employment, she often shout to me and my children when we trying to teach her things (can be forgive because her English can not make it). However, i found out that she adds in ajinomoto in the soup she cook, which she dont drink but Ajinomoto is not allow in my house. After 1 week working for me, she requested to go for off days, which during the loan period, agent's contract is "no off day but compensate". I do not agree, the next day, she lies to me that it is Myanmar's new year (early Apr 2015) she wants to go back to her hometown for New Year Celebration. Me & hubby checked theres no such New Year in Myanmar, confront her but she keep quiet. The following few days, she dazzled most of the time.

In addition, my kids who are 7 & 6 years old, did not get help to cut fruits from her & the kids eventually take the knife to cut fruits without adult supervision!! She was send back to agent & later repatriated to Myanmar...

After Han Ni Win was sent back to agent, agent suggest me to get a FRESH NEW MYANMAR MAID since i have the time to train them, & new maid would at least work longer..out of the many biodata, i pick this one call Zin Mar Oo.

The bio data stated she is willing to take care children, willing to learn cooking, housework.., etc.. Rating given by agent is "3" average. However, the truth is unveiled upon her arrival.

The 1st day of arrival, she said she wanted to transfer, she can not take care 3 children, eventhough she got 1 chid in Myanmar. She said that agent never tell her hav to take care 3 children. And she totally dont know how to cook or care people because she is a farmer in her home country. In short, she dont do housework & do not know how to do.

There was a time with my supervision, still she almost burn my house!

Through a translator, i said i will teach her if she is willing but she just insisted she wants to go back agent. Due to my work requires oversea travelling, i m not in time to send her to agent but ask my sister to come over to help out for few days, during these few days, she just sit & dazzled... She was send back to agent for Transfer.

The same agency, ask me to pick another maid as replacement, this time, is a girl call Saw Hin Nwe, via the phone interview, she can speak fluent english, employment record shows she take care children, cook & clean in her 2 previous employment, each employment is 18 months. Over the phone, i repeat & repeatedly her job needs to take care 3 children, she said can can can, her last employment also take care children.

I thought this time should be better but who knows, upon the 1st day, she said she wanted a transfer! She started saying different story, said she can not take care 3 children,

My children is naughty, she never take care children before..., etc...

I asked her to give some time to adjust, she agree to try but on the 12th day, she started making a scene, crying badly wanted to go back agent out of sudden. She shouted to me saying "she working is not to have her face look happy, she is so tire.., other maids in my kids school said how can she look so tire..." I have my CCTV, everyday, i will let her go back to room to rest from 10pm/10.30pm till next morning 7.45am then only she walk out from the room. My kids who share the room with her told me that she would use her phone until very late every night. She also mentioned all other maids in this agency can transfer as when they dont like to work for an employer..

Anybody let your maid sleep early & yet wake up late one?

After the breakout on 12th working days, my kids shifted out from that room to my room & i have to sleep on sofa!?

The agent asked her to stay until i found a new maid & today she breakout again, saying she very tire, she never rest on day time.. (She actually watch TV with my kids n chit chat with other maids while my kids at playground), she acted as if i ill treat her, when i point out the basin side shd not have store water which could be bed for Andes mosquitos, she fight back and keep shouting shouting at me, my blood pressure surge!! I told her to stop otherwise i will landed in hospital but she doesnt, walk out and walk to me again, picking for fight.

My hubby cannot take it, told her, if she wants to transfer, go back agent, call the agent to come and pick her.. She start crying crying and shouting... I wonder what she wants or is she crazy?

Finally, get the agent & bring her back. As routine, i check her luggage & yet she is very unhappy, in front of agent, she still showing me the attitude..

Note: When i m at home resting in the afternoon, this Saw Hin Nwe will show me attitude and then crying said she work whole day never rest..? The thing is, i work till late night, 1 day I rest 6 hrs. she rest 10hrs, she complain other employer good, can let maid rest in the afternoon.. I gave her 10hrs not enuf?

Forum replies:

hugomum -- I too given Mymmar maid "chance" The first transferred maid English cannot make it, tell lies and first day reached my place already ask me for wifi access. Cannot read time and cannot understand, imagine work in singapore for 1 years. Don't know how to cook when interview everything yes mdm yes mdm. Missed my son school bus and bring my girl to school 1 hr earlier. And dirty like hell, when talking to me digging her nose. She is only 24 years old. Returned her after 1 month.

Gave another Mymmar maid "chance" Come to my house less than 24 hours requested me to return her to agency. Also requested for wi-fi when reach my place when I had already told her no wifi when interview. Wear extremely hot pants and tight fitting top to show off her shape the moment when I asked her to get change.

I had to lost my agent fee, insurance and paying their levy for 21 days and lodging. I called MOM but they said no choice, nothing can be done to help this is by law we have to pay.

Now i lost faith in maid and managing myself without maid. Finally after 7 years with maids, i am doing without maid. I am also a full time working mother.

tryingtoconceive2014 -- My mom also had terrible experience with Myanmar maids 4 years ago. She hired one through the agency, as our previous Filipino maid decided not to return the last minute, and just texted me to say sorry, please tell ma'am she needed to take care of her sister in Taiwan; that her clothings in closet can just give away; and sorry for the inconvenience. So my mom had no choice but to contact agency, who provided her with a Myanmar maid available to start work immediately. My mom and the agency told the maid that her contract was 2 years; in that period she is not allowed to get pregnant. The maid agreed. However, only after starting work with my mom, she told her that she is getting married as she had a long-term boyfriend. My mom reminded her again what she promised her and the agency.

Then to my mom's horror, one morning, the maid went into the servant's restroom and came out with a very ugly and pale face. My mom then asked her if she was pregnant. She said that she did not know. So my mom arranged to send her for health check the next morning. At the dr's the next morning, a scan was done and it was confirmed that our maid was 6 weeks pregnant. The maid was 24 years old. (Her marriage was interviewed by the Straits Times at that time, and Straits Times even called my mom to do a phone interview.)

My mom then called up the agency immediately. To her shock, the agency told her that she could continue to let the maid work until maybe 5 or 6 months. My mom was very angry, argued with the agency, and said that the maid was carrying a live human being inside her, and we could not afford to keep her anymore, in case that when she was helping us clean the cabinet by climbing the stool, she miscarried.

My mom also brought the maid and her husband back to the agency. To our surprise, the husband was laughing as if he knew and planned all of this, while the whole time the maid was crying very badly. The next day, my mom sent the maid back. We do not know if the maid after given birth, had re-entered our country, to seek for another job.

After that, we never dare hire another Myanmar maid again due to the bad experience.

koirc -- My first maid was Indonesian. When her contract ended, we decided to let her go back and look for a new maid. My brother had a Myanmar maid who has worked for his household for 6 years. They prefer Myanmarese because they are supposedly more "obedient". So I went maid hunting at Bukit Timah Shopping Centre and saw one small agency named K-Team that has Mandarin speaking maids from Myanmar. Ah, I thought this is good cos my mum doesn't speak English. The agent highly recommended a transfer maid who was working for her then employer for seven months looking after a toddler. Her reason for transfer was that employer made her work in two households and didn't give her enough food.

I interviewed her on the phone and she sounded promising. We met her again at the agency where my hubby spoke to her. We even brought our 2yo son to meet her just to see if there is any chemistry. Btw, I didn't mention the agency claimed she was a teacher teaching children back in Myanmar.

So she came to my household. Can't do anything she said she could on the phone. She can't even do simple chore like making milk for my son. We sat her down on her 2nd week only to realize that I hadn’t spoken to her on the phone. I asked if she thinks she can manage the work and she said yes she wants to continue working. So we gave her a chance and tried to train her. However, she doesn’t put in effort and day dreams all the time. One day, I saw the broom and dustpan in the middle of the living room and she was in the kitchen staring out of the window! This made me scared. What if she has some negative thoughts?

We spoke to her again on her first pay day where we have to pay her $20 after offsetting the loan amount. She said she wants to go home. So we said ok. We told the agent we will let her go since she is not used to working as a domestic helper and is homesick. Anyway, long story short. After she left, she signed a letter which I felt was instigated by the agent, and said the workload is too heavy, she didn’t have her own room (she shares room with my toddler) and when she wants to take a nap during her afternoon rest time, she couldn’t, among other reasons she cited that are groundless. This made us really disappointed and angry because we are nice people who wants to treat our maid well but we got stabbed in the back. The agent used this as reason not to return us partial of the agency fee which she has agreed to. The whole incident turned quite bad I had to file a report to CASE. Anyway, I was able to counter all the reasons that she listed – eg. 1. No personal room which we have already told her before we brought her home and she agreed to it. 2. House too big which I have declared my house type to the agent when I was looking for a maid. After much tussle, we managed to get back some of the money. But it is a lesson learnt. I am phobia of getting Myanmar maid again. I acknowledge there is no perfect maid so I will make do with one whom I think can serve the purpose of my household.

Mini Mee -- I sympathize with you and know what it feels like to go through what you did with your Myanmar maid. My family was hurt by a myanmar maid and this trauma that we suffered had helped my family to strengthen our resolution NEVER TO DEPEND ON ANY MAIDS EVER AGAIN.

At the end of it, I learnt ONE THING. Myanmar maids ARE NOT GRATEFUL PEOPLE. Even a friend of mine who owns a business in Myanmar said that

an employee whom they have treated like family for years can leave the family in the dead of the night, stealing all the jewellery, and ran away. I understand that such ungrateful behaviour IS NORMAL. Telling lies and falsehood are normal for the people of Myanmar. My friend was even cheated out of USD30,000 by people he trusted because he bought some precious stones supported by certificates which later on turned out to be FAKE. I AM CERTAIN that the maid biodata provided for us is false. These DISHONEST AGENTS in Myanmar COLLABORATING with Singapore agents supplying all these false information on maids for us is really UNACCEPTABLE. This is really DANGEROUS as we are getting people to live with us and taking care of our children and parents.

Unless it is another person with the same name, I had interviewed Zin Mar OO before under another agency but she was fatter and I was told the age is 36.

We Should keep WRITING TO MOM to put pressure on these officers to do something. Maids are coming in for holidays on our expense. In other words, they are here to take advantage.

Cutting down the levy to $60 IS JUST A PACIFIER to us Singaporeans. When language is a problem and character and behaviour is a problem, the government should NOT ALLOWED THEM TO COME INTO SINGAPORE to create problems for us instead of helping us. We hope we can get someone who can help us look after our family but instead, we ended looking after them and paying them salaries for work they could not even do properly.

Lim Swee Say should do something about this. The Myanmar govt is asking for min SGD450 for their maids because of maid abuse. It is yet another RANSOM NOTE.

We give an inch they ask for a yard. We give a yard they ask for a mile. We give a mile they ask for the moon. They are never satisfied and are always complaining, comparing and whining. Yet in Myanmar, these people can only earn SGD50 per month. Here they are paid $450 per month with everything provided for, yet they continue to give problems.

We should just depend on ourselves. We can because we are resilient. I have survived 5 months without a maid and a full time job. So far so good.

lololy -- It horrible to read the suffering you all went thru. I have myanmar maids. Current one, she was on off with me for 3 yrs. On Off is bcos she previously has family issues and need to go back. in between I got other myanmar maids, and yes its terrible exprience. Got one who was like so perfect, dont want HP n off day! But not smart, only good for routine housework. cant cook, not proactive with kids, I have to let her go. then got another one who claims that agent lied to her abt working condition in SG, I believed her cos the next maid from the same agency, also told me her agent paint to her different story abt working in SG (the agent told them it very easy to work here, just look after a household - never mention abt household chores or caring for kids or elderly). But she want to earn money so she willing to stay on (thats the not so smart one). The came a transfer who is fast in her work, can communicate, can get along with my kids, but cleanliness is terrible! I called my ex maid to come back.

It all boils down to luck getting a good maid. Nowadays , out of 10, probably only 2 are really here to work and understand what they are getting themselves into. While the rest was recruited by the agents packs of lies.

Recently I heard that agents back there are recruiting the maids as caregiver, which will command higher salary. they only need to attend course for 1-3 mths. no loan. And some of the maids have ended their contract early and went back.

I checked on the internet a found a agency that provide foreign cargivers, which stated their caregiver have diplomas and degree in caregiving. but their WP will be under FDW. From the description, it was no difference to maid, just a nicer name and higher salary plus 2k agency fee. If these 2 link together, it all fake cert, as the maids only take courses for at most 3 mths!

rachel20 -- Thanks for sharing! Indeed the oversea supplier (Myanmar agencies) issue is very difficult to handle. After my 4th helper gone, i started searching from agencies to agencies and read more. Then i realised most of the singapore agencies rely on home country's suppliers to provide "head" for singapore employer to "choose" based on biodata.

Singapore government cant control these oversea agencies over the training standards & filtering to "FDW" who are coming to singapore. Which later become employer's problem of getting helper does not help. While singapore agent, nowadays, are not really providing training to these FDW. What they claimed training is done at home country, doesnt really exist. The moment FDW step into Singapore, Sg agencies will send these FDW to employers house soonest possible to manage their costs... If employers or FDWs not happy asking for change, agencies are happy to do that! We all know why!

mommie2be -- Yes attitude is important. Likewise for our bosses, they won't keep us if we keep arguing back or show them black face. Stealing is definitely a no no for me.

Most agents I visited do not recommend fresh Myanmar maids. So at the advise of friends and relatives, I chose an experienced Myanmar maid recommended by the agency. I highlighted to the agency I want a reliable helper that can help and cope with my expected household chores and hopefully can complete 2 years with me. So far so good. I have not had the need to scold her. But I will tell her where she had overlooked or slipped in her work and she will know where needs improvement.

She said she couldn't cook, but I managed to guide her to cook to our family taste. She was just not confident at cooking our food as every household is different. Only took me less than 2 weeks. Now she prepares most of our meals. Communication in simple English is manageable. She understands what we want with little explanation. Her cleaning and hygiene levels are better than expected, maybe due to her experience. She also can get along with ah gong and ah ma with their limited English.

We make sure she has at least 8 hours of sleep. Food wise, mostly eat the same as us except for the few certain food that she doesn't like. I didn't have the chance to interview through phone or video. Took it at agent's recommendation and her previous work records.

With the above, I'm happy to pay a bit more for an experienced SG helper. It just cost an extra $2 a day

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nov 2015

Winter: Who is getting profit out of this ban? Employers and maids have to pay much more so obviously the agencies/middleman are seeing more $$ rolling in. Uneducated women needed an income, a decent salary and live-in benefits (±$1500 per month/per FDW) that their own country can't match. Some poor souls chose to work illegally, unprotected as overseas job holders and unable to get a quick return .... slog for recruiters, free labour for 7 - 8 months ... activists should bite/pressurize these people, yet NGOs/activists chose to attack employers.

I pity these women as well as employers who had to spend extra money and live with a FDW who doesn't understand why maid loan snow balled to such a scary amount. I believe most FDWs weren't brief or given an estimated loan to pay when they reach Spore. If FDWs are aware, I believe they would be frightened off and not leave their countries. ±S$3400 to feed the recruiters is way too much! This is not a small amount to me (I don't earn much), let alone these poor women. No matter how stupid or uneducated these women are, I don't think they want to fork out ±S$3400 if they have been briefed before flying over. Agencies/middleman cheated them, treated these poor women as commodities ... tagged 'on sale' by their own people (in source country).

FDWs were cheated by recruiters to come to Spore. Not our fault, employers didn't force any poor or ambitious dream women to step into recruiters' office based in respective source country. If activists are so kind, shouldn't they counsel and educate women in source countries. Why agencies need not breakdown feesbefore these women fly out of their countries? I assume source country sees this 'cheating game' like a lubricate trade, turn a blind eyes to unscrupulous recruiters, continue to deceive poor women who merely want a good income, a salary that their country can't promise or offer .... to be marketed as maids. Maid loan is something these women had to bear, not just in Spore, happens in Malaysia and Hong Kong, how come these women are unaware and kept assuming they were tricked into slavery by Sg employers? Source countries are fully aware of placement fee. Instead of restricting the recruiters, they kept pressing employers to pay more salaries. Obviously the source countries played a great part in the scam. You gave these women chances to play the role of victims and put your weight on this tiny Red Dot. You, sickening humans know PAP/MOM is afraid of saying NO to big countries. You people pretend to be blind and deaf.... find every ways to eat us, milk us and claimed slavery exist!

Myanmar imposed a five-month ban in September last year, barring its women from working as maids in Singapore, citing ill-treatment. In May this year, it re-imposed the ban. Mr Kyaw Htin Kyaw, general secretary of the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation (MOEAF), said the ban is unlikely to be lifted until a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is signed with its Singaporean counterpart - the Association of Employment Agencies Singapore (AEAS).

Even so, lured by the promise of a better life, thousands of Myanmar women continue to leave the country illegally, putting themselves at risk of exploitation. Singapore is an ideal destination to work because it is safe and near Myanmar. Last year, there were 30,000 maids from Myanmar here, reported The Straits Times.

Maid recruiters in Myanmar said they are finding ways to go around the ban. Methods include flying the women out on two-way tickets, making detours to Thailand instead of flying directly to Singapore and bribing airport officials. This means additional costs have to be borne by either the Myanmar recruiters or the maids.

Maids in Singapore are paid $450 a month. The Ministry of Manpower stipulates that Singapore employment agents can collect only one month of the maid's salary for each year of service. But these rules apply only to Singapore agents and the women can end up paying up to eight months of their two-year salary to Myanmar recruiters.

Managing director of Nann Htike Nann employment agency, Mr Nyunt Win, said it cost him between $500 and $600 to fly a domestic worker to Singapore last year. The cost has since risen to more than $1,000. He said: "I wanted to increase the amount the maids needed to pay, but they cannot afford the cost - they come to me in the first place because they are very poor and have no career prospects."

With the labour ministry's ban, Myanmar women seeking to become domestic workers overseas are put at greater risk, said labour rights organisations. Said Dr Thein Than Win, director of health education and research at Humanitarian Organisation of Migration Economics (Home) in Singapore: "Because there are no rules on how much a recruiter in Myanmar can deduct from the women, they are at risk of exploitation from unscrupulous agents who may use the ban as an excuse to charge them more money, claiming it is for bribes for airport officials, airfares or forged documents."

Mr Kyaw Htin Kyaw said that women who leave Myanmar illegally as domestic workers go unprotected and cannot be traced. "They cannot receive protection such as insurance from the federation or from the Myanmar government if something happens to them," he said.

The priority for Myanmar's labour ministry should be enacting laws to protect its workers rather than stemming the outflow of illegal workers, said industry insiders. Mr Jolovan Wham, executive director of Home, said: "Myanmar workers should be free to choose their place of employment." He said it is important to have laws that regulate agent fees and proper language and cultural immersion courses so maids can adjust better to their new environment.

Mr Kyaw Htin Kyaw said his federation has been working with AEAS since February last year on an MOU to better define industry practices. However, both parties still cannot agree on terms such as the number of working hours a day and the number of rest days. The ban is of no benefit to people like Ms Hall Dar Htwe, 24, who spent her $210 savings last year to take a maid training course. Now, she is anxiously waiting to see if the ban is lifted so she can help her family of four, who have little money since her father died two years ago. She said: "I have no qualifications, so this job is a good option for me to earn money for the family, pick up English and learn skills like housekeeping."

About 500 women from Myanmar have been barred in the past three weeks from leaving their country to work in Singapore as maids, said employment agencies.

The Myanmar government has imposed a ban before, citing ill-treatment and abuse of maids.

"We used to have about 20 maids from Myanmar coming in every week," said Mr Gary Chin, managing director of Nation Employment. "Now, we have none." At least 15 agencies have been affected, said Ms K. Jayaprema, president of the Association of Employment Agencies Singapore.

To skirt the ban, agencies tried to get the women in by applying for tourist visas or even flying them in through a third country, according to Chinese evening paper Shin Min Daily News. But the Myanmar government quickly saw through the tactics.

In September last year, its Labour Ministry expressed concern over the ill-treatment and abuse of maids and imposed a five-month ban, according to a Straits Times report.

But the women defied the ban and continued to come.

Last year, there were reportedly 30,000 maids from Myanmar working in Singapore. Myanmar is the third most popular source country - behind the Philippines and Indonesia - for domestic workers.

Women from Myanmar were not allowed to work here as maids until March last year, when their government stipulated that they had to receive a minimum monthly salary of $450 and get at least one day off a month, according to Myanmar newspaper reports. Their recruitment fees also could not exceed four months of their salary.

However, enforcement is difficult, said a spokesman for the Dynamic Maids agency.

Maids from Myanmar are still coming to work in Singapore, defying a ban imposed by their government. Myanmar has barred its citizens from working in the Republic for five months unless agencies in Singapore sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU). It took the action last Monday after reports about ill-treatment of Myanmar maids in Singapore.

Maid agencies feared numbers from Myanmar would drop, but they now say the ban is not being enforced strictly. About 50 domestic helpers a day have been arriving here in the past week - similar to numbers before the ban. "It has been business as usual for us," said Ms Kerri Tan, a director at one of Singapore's largest Myanmar maid agencies, United Channel.

Association of Employment Agencies Singapore president K. Jayaprema said the MOU is being looked at. "We need to ensure that the interests of Singapore agents are protected too," she added.

Maids from Myanmar are typically paid $400 to $430 a month. They can go without wages for up to eight months to cover the recruitment fees. They make up the fastest-growing group of domestic workers here. Their number has grown by 50 per cent over the past two years, from about 20,000 to more than 30,000.

Demand has gone up because they are cheaper to hire than Indonesians or Filipinos. The Philippine and Indonesian governments have mandated minimum monthly wages of $500 and $450 respectively for maids from their countries. While more Myanmar maids are coming to Singapore, a rising number are also running away from their employers' homes. Migrant worker activists told The Straits Times previously that the women were discouraged by having to pay off large loans.

Singapore agencies said that fees paid to agents in Myanmar could go up in the meantime, with some asking for $300 more. Recruitment fees for Myanmar maids already come to about $3,000, given the lack of enforcement of rules in Myanmar. Mr Tay Khoon Beng, owner of Best Home Employment Agency, said: "Myanmar agencies say it is hard to bring the maids here, but they are just using the opportunity to earn more."

Other agents said some airport officials in Myanmar are asking for bribes of US$50 (S$63) a maid to let them board flights to Singapore. "The extra fees will be passed on to the maids, and their loans will go up," said Mr Tay. "They are on the losing end."

Ms Jayaprema agreed that the recruitment fees must be reduced. "The Myanmar government has to limit the fees that their recruitment agents charge, and it must enforce the rules. If not, the problem will just go on," she said.

Facebook comments:

Jim Oh - We Singaporeans
would not be badly affected as we have other sources for maids but it is their
people who would lose opportunities to work in Singapore and lesser chances of
being employed by oversea employers. We have nothing to lose.

Abdul Rahim Suef - Ask
Myanmar abt their human right record first before accusing ... anyway we don't
welcome people who killed so many muslim in their country

Jadsen Phang - My current
and all previous maids are from Myanmar.
And i treat them like friends. Keep in contact after their service when they
return home. What kind of rubbish is this slamming entire Singapore for 1
or 2 rotten apples. You want to kill their rice bowl by law, please make sure
your new law secures your citizens. If they are doing good back home, is there
even a need to be maid? Solve your internal problems first. Because of your
personal dignity, your citizens suffer. its a choice to work for a living. And
a choice they should have without restrictions to what they wanna do for
themselves.

Lexus Chua - Many thanks
for not coming to flood the already foreigners flooded island.

Sabrina Yasmeen - Singapore is
still the best place to work ..in foreigner country..

Desmond Huang - We have
other channels who are waiting to rush into Singapore. Anyway, that doesn't
mean we Singaporean are maid abuser. There may be some isolated cases but not
the whole Singapore.

Gee Gee Dylandte Ryu - Singapore is
the best country,I work here 6years as a maid

Ashok Kumar - We should
not be in denial here. Not only Myanmar but many countries have similar
reservations about sending their people as maids; indonesia, phillipines n
cambodia included. We seem to be in the same basket as middle eastern n other
lesser developed countries in the areas of treating foreign workers. We just
need to look at the foreign worker dormitory issues which are more open n
evident. The abuse of maids are seldom known to the public as these occur
within closed doors. But many of us are indeed aware of such instances. We need
to get the basics right; weekly day off, meals, rest periods n corollary
enforcement. These are vulnerable people, Singaporean or otherwise.

Carol Ggo Ooi - his is not
very justify. Employers who ill treated maids are very few. On top in Singapore
maids are very well protected. The problem is most maid only wanted to make
money but no heart to work. They are full of lies and crabs. But employers
needed them, lots of time close one eye and tolerate their nonsense so long as
they can take care of kids and nice to kids; some employers even pamper their
maids to lots of benefits like sending them to learn computer, sewing courses
etc, advanced all their pays so that they can send home to buy lands and farms
etc. But when they have over drafted all their money, they have no more heart
to work and all kind tricks will appear. They even ask to send them home.
Employers actually tolerate them most of the time, not the other way. Most of
the maids have good life here except a small number of employers who cannot
manage them ended up lost control of their temper and ended 5 causing some
physical hurt to them, but the driving cause are the maid quality are bad!

It's time Singaporeans
learn to invest in automation at home, and government should support to set up
good child care centre for even new born , more after school care center and
more old folks and invalid care centers for these few neediest family support!

Shalynn Marc Lee - So if
Myanmar ban their maids from working overseas, they should also accept the
Rohingya people as their citizen and not treat it as ASEAN or UN's problem.

John Smith - It is just
not only for Singapore but also for all other countries (like Taiwan and others
countries too) due to complain by oppositions to Myanmar government that it is
very shameful for country because of stupid government.Then, I think, our
government also will shame by theirselves because even though we have a lot of
natural resources, now our ladies are working like domestic workers because of
their miss-management. So, now they decide to stop to import the maids and I
think, they want to try to enlarge the other production sectors. And the other
thing is, when some agencies did the promotion those like other goods during
last year, it was very affected in Myanmar and we felt very sorry for our girls
and very shameful by ourselves. We will never complain to Singaporeans because
if we will rich, we are not need to work out in other countries. This problem
also not need to happen.So, our people anger to our stupid government only
because of their miss-management.

Ann Sim Sim - They should
stop sending till their maids can really work and communicate. Communication is very important and if they
don't understand ,how to work. No wonder
these employers get frustrated. I
suggest these agents also have some conscience ,don't just because of earning
money, send in their maids, whether they can work or not, push these maids to
hell. The maids should also be considerate enough not to come in if they cannot
deliver their work and if they cannot communicate because Singapore is a country
with high expectations. Singapore is
already flooded with all these maids from third world countries and more
problems will occurred if they continued sending.

Mazel Lim - I agree
working as a maid is definitely physically taxing. However, by working in
Singapore as a maid, they probably get as much as 3 or even 5 times of what
they can get back home, plus all meals and lodging provided for. You mean all
Singaporeans abuse or ill-treat their maid? No! Then how about cases where
maids ill-treat/abuse the employer's children or elderly folks?? Does it mean
all maids are like that? No!

Mike Koh - Why just ban
maids only? Myanmar should ban her citizens from working oversea. Go to
Peninsula plaza there thousand of those foreign workers

Kannan Renganathan - It's
ironical on this restriction by the Burmese govt when loads of refugees from
Burma are waiting off shore.

11 · June 4 at 7:51pm

Aquino Lopez Aubrey - In
my opinion & observation....a lot of maid lack of trainning and
ettiquette....im a maid right now here at Sg....and what i want to.improve is
they must screen the maids capability before deploying them....becoz i pity
those employer who are having a problem in coping up in thier maids....

Becoz.....me yes im a maid
but my objectives is to treat and serve my boss as VIP becoz i believe if.boss
are peaceful and trust thier maid that we manage thier house properly they
go.to.work they dont.need.to think the house problem and they can focus to
thier careers in thier company or offices....this is.only.my opinion....i hope
MOM provide.more trainning and orientation in ettiquettes and attitudes towards
works bevoz.this.is.very important and.they must include some overview what is
singaporean culture becoz me example im a filipino....i work wid singaporean it
will be easy for me if i can have idea in thier culture like that....i hope
they will improve this matter...

Lim Pee Chai - Please note
not all maid is employ by SG people but maid is also employ by FP who work
here. Singapore is still the best place to work. How can u tell who treat the
maid bad.This is a two way traffic between the maid and employer

Tan Soon - Stupid
government stupid policy, singapore ill treat maid, my Myanmar maid receive
$530 per month with one day off per month, and she eat what we eat and she
sleep in air con room, and what she do is general house chore. We ill treat the
maids?

Mahadi Ahmad - Who needs
who in the first place? No doubt young Singaporeans needs maids nowadays but
w/o them we can still survive. Tell Myanmar counterpart to look at the mirror
before deciding to comment about us!

Jenny Chao Ka Chan - They
say we ill treat maids. How about maids who ill treat our children? There r
plenty of good employers in Singapore and they give their maids an opportunity
to provide for their families back home. By banning them, isn't their
government ill treating their own people as well?

David Arizman - We cannot
generalize that all of employees in singapore are cruel.

It depends on the
personality of each employee.

It's common thing not only
in singapore even,all over the world, bad person and good person exist
anywhere.

Anthony Lee - Maids
industry should ceased immediately in sg. ....To me it's just modern slaves
which is despicable and cruel .

Peck Kuan - Myanmar maids
do not understand simple instructions given to them. When ask to perform some
task, they break the property in the house belong to the employer hire them.
They do not know how to take care of children. They like to tell ties and even
steal money from the children they look after. They (Myanmar maid) can say when
come to eating, they are number one but doing housework and taking care of
children really cannot make it. So those employers who have hire them as maid
before have given up hope with them. Normally those employer who hire Myanmar
maids not even a year or less than six month will sack them and return them
back to the maid agencies or if the maid agencies do not want to take them back
will ask the employer who previously employed them to buy air ticket to sent
them back to Myanmar.

Yeo Patrick - My relative
took a myanmar maid from the agent in the morning. Bought her lunch n after
eating she wanted to go back. Duration 4 hrs only. Now who mistreat who?

Lee HuiTing - Dont come
better, not SG lost anyway. MOM, pls check your record if any maids from
Myanmar did abused employers and its family in SG.

Aan Al-Shariff - Myanmar
nvr come also it is ok lah.. Myanmar government stop bullshit.. you treat your
own ppls not fair u want to tell us treat them not fair? What happend to
Rohingnya Myanmar? If they not belong to you does that hv the right for you to
burnt them alive? So tell me nw?

Myanmar has temporarily banned its women from working as maids in Singapore due to concerns over abuse and exploitation, an employment body in Yangon said on Saturday (Sep 13).

The suspension comes amid a global spotlight on the working conditions of migrant domestic helpers in Asia after reports of widespread abuse, including the case of an Indonesian maid who allegedly endured months of torture by her Hong Kong boss.

Myanmar - which only last year passed a law allowing its nationals to work as domestic helpers overseas - will impose the ban until an agreement is reached with Singapore over issues including worker rights and salary.

"We have been informed of cases of abuse and ill-treatment of Myanmar maids in Singapore... That's why we want proper protection for workers," Soe Myint Aung, a vice-chairman of the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation, told AFP. "The labour ministry has temporarily suspended permits for women until the federation signs a Memorandum of Understanding with (its counterpart in) Singapore." He did not specify when the suspension came into place but said discussions for an agreement began around a month ago.

After amending its migration law in 2013, the former junta-ruled state has officially only sent domestic helpers - most of whom are women - to Singapore and Hong Kong. The official said there is also a suspension on permits for maids wanting to work in the southern Chinese city, which received its first official group of 19 helpers in February, but did not say when this came into effect.

The case of Indonesian maid Erwiana Sulistyaningsih - whose Hong Kong employer now faces charges including grievous bodily harm with intent - triggered international concern about the treatment of domestic helpers. Migration experts have previously warned about poor working conditions for Myanmar nationals in these roles.

In Singapore, the president of the Association of Employment Agencies Singapore (AEAS), Ms K. Jayaprema, said she has not been informed of any suspension by the Myanmar embassy, the "usual channel of communication". However, Ms Jayaprema acknowledged that the association is in discussions with its Myanmar counterpart on an MOU. She said it is currently just a draft document and there are several issues that need to be addressed.

In an interview with The Straits Times, MOEAF vice-chairman Soe Myint Aung said: "We just made a temporary suspension. We will start it again after signing a memorandum of understanding... We are still discussing this (MOU) with agencies from the Singapore side."

Concern over maid abuse prompted the suspension, he said. "There were some cases of Burmese maids abused in Singapore, but those maids did not go through our agency, they went the illegal way."

There are reportedly 30,000 to 40,000 Myanmar women working as maids in Singapore.

"There was no problem before and the Labour Ministry let us operate even though there is no MOU," said Mr Soe Myint Aung. "But we found later that there were some problems when agencies from Singapore violated regulations. That is why the Labour Ministry imposed the suspension," he added, without giving any details about the cases.

The Straits Times reported in April last year that a rising number of Myanmar maids were "running away" from their Singapore employers. One reason was that they found it unbearable to work for months without receiving any pay. Earlier this year, Myanmar media reported that the government wants its women working as maids in Singapore to be paid a minimum monthly wage of $450, be given at least one day off a month, and not to have to pay a recruitment fee that exceeds four months of their salary.

The MOU is intended to turn these proposals into regulations.

"When we have done the MOU, all of us will need to respect the agreement. This MOU will protect our domestic workers from exploitation and rights abuses," Mr Soe Myint Aung said. An MOU could see 1,000 maids head to Singapore a month, the Myanmar Times said on Monday.

Ms Jayaprema noted that this is the first time that the AEAS has been asked to sign an MOU with a source country. In the case of the Philippines and Indonesia, they have formal laws that provide protection for their women who work overseas.

Early this year, Myanmar stopped sending its women to Hong Kong just after the first batch of 19 domestic helpers arrived in the city. The suspension followed a high-profile case in which a Hong Kong housewife was accused of abusing her young Indonesian maid for months.

Alice Han - Not all Myanmar maids are that so bad. My youngest sister engage a Myanmar maid who is helpful n tends to all household chores besides looking after my mum who is 85. My mum has high blood pressure n dementia. Before my dad passed away two n a half years ago she has been caring for him. She even carries him at a later stage when my dad has difficulties in walking to the wheel chair. She has been with my youngest sister n my mum for four years till today. Engaging a maid depends on luck. Some are good n some are bad.

Faiza Sofi - I'm indonesia and work wth my employer for 12 years and I take care two baby and 86 years old grandma . My salary is bellow 500$ And off day only one month one time.

A lot friend said I'm stupid And ask me to find new employer to get better salary and off day every week .but I will never leave my employer . my sir treat me like his own daughter ..

And my mom is my best friend we share food and drink from the same plate or glass but my mom never feel disgusting .

I love grandma and happy take care two baby and do all house work myself .

Emily Blunt - Har less than $500! U r under paid! Do u know there is a basic wage for pinoy maids in sg! The basic requirement is $600

Rosanti Mbura - Emily blunt, I am Indonesian maid to and I have been working for my employer for 8 years and my salary is just$400. many of my friends are telling me the samething as what faiza said.but salary doesn't matter cause there are things that more important than a big salary. As long as we are happy and they treat us good then the big money is not an issue any more. Just be grateful for whatever we have and no to be greedy

Denis Antunes - To treat you well is the MINIMUM they could do after doing all this for 500 dollars and 12 years of work. I don't know your comparative, so I respect your point, but the fact is that it's very convenient for them to have someone like you.

Tomex Lfc Anfield - this looks like some made up comment lol

writes good English, obviously better than your owners, use Facebook and receive $500 every month?? you kidding me?!

Joshua Lee - Singaporean who employ Myanmar maids need to really understand their country's culture, they are from different tribe with different culture even among themselves the tribal culture is different & the way they think & look at life, they are not the same with Filipino or Indonesian maid, a lot of them do not get a chance for basic education, they come to Singapore with a lot of fear in them but they have no choice as they need to survive, their country cannot provide them a good paid job. Some were even despised by their fellow countryman as they work as a maid. My plead to Singaporean employers is have compassion on them & be patient. They can catch on very fast once they overcome their fear !

Christina Ho - Our sg govt has been good to maids so far as compared to other countries....in fact at times the maids seem better protected than the employer!!!

Elaine Ho - Give an example of maids that seem better protected than employers? From what is commonly known about our laws, so many maids are in vulnerable positions legally and physically, unable to protect themselves . Seems like the maid's welfare just depends on how humane the employer decides she/he wants to be. (Winter: Read Unfair MOM Polices)

Clarice Viola Pereira - I will never employ Myanmar maid due to communication problem as my Mum can only speak in English and lots of them can't speak English so will just stick to Filipino maids. Some of my friends who employed Myanmar maids did not have much problems with them. I think it all comes down to luck and how we treat the maids. We should treat them with respect because it's a job they are doing. If they do anything wrong I correct them straight away.

Keong Ng - well.. if myanmar is so good.. why their people still need to work as maid.. their govt shud check themself first..

i dont feel superior..in your country...so many of your people got killed by the army... got rob, and many things happen... singapore gave you secured life..good living and yet you wanna bring your culture to singapore??

at least when rain, you wont get wet. You have nice HDB house to stay, you wont go hungry in singapore...I have been to myanmar and i know what is it. Its not a Tokyo or New York city or London...

so many burmese is on run with UNCHR pass all around..you get screwed from your own government... you have to pay 10% tax even though you work oversea,,,if not you are barred frm working oversea again.... now you should ask your govt and yourself...who is so superior...

Khun Myo Maung Maung - u all want to have good maids? Reconsider yourself, do every one of maid employer treat them the same way?

Laarnie Dumawat - An agent told me before "I don't like filipino maid because they always know their right" I just keep quiet. Come on.... what's wrong of knowing your right. There are problem about the maid and also the employer as well as the agent. Some maid agencies don't treat their maid well.

Tong Bn - This maid issue arises out of a simple way we are living here - high cost of living. So much so able bodied folks need to work to cope with the living here.

Hearing ministers equating high cost of living as being first world is a big joke. Wonder why we have them making things costly for us.

Stayed in first world countries and there are few families with maids or nannies. Cost of basic necessities are highly affordable. Single breadwinner in the family is good enough. And they enjoy good family life. No need to sweat it out like we need here just to sustain our family.

Lack of family life was identified years back with our govt targeting to improve that election after election but all came to nought. The cost of living remains high and increasing yearly.

If our govt has no heart to improve this, maid will be a necessary fixture in our families.

And we have to be generous to them as they had to leave their families and country to eke out a living here. If they can earn enough in their own country I am sure they won't be here.

Adeline Sek-Tan - Our grandparents' can raise us up single handedly without maids. So are our parents. Why can't we? It's all about sacrifices and living humbly.

Edmund Leck - To tell u all the truth I rather not keep a maid . It is like we have to take care of an addition person who does not treat her work seriously and free loading and enjoying a 2 year holiday in sg

PK Ang - Singaporeans please take note, if there's no maids, you will not be able to work n your household income will be less.

Singapore will be shortage of workers n that will be the cause of having more FTs coming to compete with your husand's job.

Yue Sern Mok - Yes, it is appalling and I share their concerns. Perhaps they should try to apply to work in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait where the salaries may be much higher. They should not work in Singapore due to ill treatment. They should go to Saudi Arabia or Kuwait immediately.

myanmar just want to reap more benefits from Singapore , look at their country since past to present , since when their govt care about their people ? if you study history or read recent news you probably know what i am talking about

Work Work - But banning, the Myanmar govt is actually terminating job opportunities to its own citizen without thinking. There is never shortage of maids n this action will impact only their citizens, not Singapore.

Jay Daniel - the problem with the maid process if the paying of recruiting agents in their home country. since we are paying the maid levy what is this for? We should be sending a gov or stat board recruiting agent over to the country (fat chance) to do the recruiting, what is the point of these ppl working at such low wages when they have to take years sometimes to pay off the recruiting agent, it makes for an unhappy maid, but these ppl are not exactly geniuses so they get themselves into that sort of situation.....

Linda Ong - It's better don't take Myanmar maid....they r very dummy.....n make u very angry....if they don't work, they will just sit down there n wait for agency to come. If u don't need a maid, pls don't hire. It's better to put them at childcare to learn something better then let maid take care. If they do something wrong, MOM always help them. It's better to ban Myanmar maid for coming in.

Katlyn Zen - Ban lor....Their government should pay or feed them if they are unemployed.

Francis Gan - Pse dont come to work in spore ....go to europe where the environment will be better to work there. Our own sporeans already felt the heat of desperation n spore is no longer their ideal place to live.

Ken Tan Bingyan - They need a good excuse to tax their income. So must tabulate their exit properly

Jing Wei - I think once the maids are in our home, most employees treat them pretty well, and humanely. Im guessing is the whole business of marketing and selling the agencies have to do the biggest problem

Doris Loo - Not all employers treat maid badly. My Myanmar maid can't speak or understand English till I taught her for 6 months. I increased her pay n give her off day without deducting from her pay. As for her working on her off days I pay accordingly back to her. Maids are human need to destress too

Signorina Su - Unless you're very rich, wives wouldnt have to work. Tell me whc women wouldnt want to stay home and look after their own children? Cook for the husband?

Although DH salary might sound little to some, their food, electricity & water usage are all beared by the employer. Not forgetting the monthly levy. Therefore it is not very cheap to have a DH here.

Back in their country most of them are jobless and poor. Its better to spend 2yrs overseas working as a DH than not doing anytg.

Meera Abdul - Whatever la maid, fdw, dw, helper..same what...i'd rather the ban is permanent cos they always bite the hand that feed them. my neighbour's helper stole from them n yet my neighbour didn't report just send her back. my other neighbour's helper, is even better, after 2 years, she left, they found her printed photo under the cupboard( naked on the employer's bed) the question is who took the photo?

Another neighbour's helper got caught bringing home men to moonlight.

Another neighbour's helper can finish the entire fridge stock and 10kg rice in 8days yet went to MOM and her embassy to complain that employer don't give her food,in that 6months she work with my neighbour,she gained 18kg.

Another neighbour's helper shattered a glass door and used the glass shard to slash herself,she called the police and say employer abuse her but fortunately for cctv,all caught on camera.she then say it's because she wanted friday to sunday off so she can go "camping" with her friends and her employer say no.

Another neighbour's helper threw a kitten out of the window because she got "bored" the kitten always sleep and guess what? Not charged.just change employer.

Well,you may all say employers are bad etc etc but these people I know personally and they are polite respectful people,unfortunately the maids took advantage of their niceness.

Sarahlyn Tan - Assume that most people who hire foreign helpers have kids at home. Otherwise, household chores should be pretty manageable. In view of the recent threats from governments of neighboring countries time and again, Singapore should consider sustainable ways to not only reduce her reliance on foreign workers, but also to introduce more child-friendly policies that encourage higher birth rates.

As Singapore progresses into a developed nation, maybe it is time for us to explore the use of technology over foreign labor. Some issues for the government to consider are: 1) Why does this group of people require helpers? 2) What can Singapore do to reduce the reliance on them in an efficient and cost effective way? For example, Sweden has one of the most successful policies in the world for balancing work and family responsibilities and maintaining female and maternal employment rates that do not require foreign helpers. Some of their policies include guaranteeing public childcare that operate on a whole-day basis (most childcare facilities are open from 6:30am to 6:30pm). Pre-school is free for children aged between 3 to 6 for up to 15 hours per week. Maybe Singapore can go a step further by bringing these childcare facilities closer to working parents (eg. establishing the facilities near the workplace of the parents - MRT stations) or by encouraging companies to allow flexible work arrangements (eg. Flexi hours, work-from-home). There are always many alternative ways that Singapore can consider to reduce its reliance on any country in the long run.

On a side note, I personally applaud the adoption of ipads to order food at several restaurants in Singapore lately instead of conveniently hiring cheaper staff from overseas. That is a smart, and yet, cost effective move that we can learn from.

Adeline Chua - İ believe if you talk about maids get ill treated or being exploited , it must be in history .

Now they do get their off days quite easily, and carry expensive or at least selectes hdps and even take taxis so easily . Do such situations speaks they are ill treated. Look at my mymmar maid , she got to sit downstairs because of my mum 's routine to go talk with her neighbouring friends . She can be on the hdp talking. When my mum is sleeping she can be on the hdp again or and in the night when she is free, she will use the time to talk on the hdp till a time before she goes to bed. These are the freedom given to her to enjoy so she is also expect to make sure she has to carry out her duties properly and responsive. İf she does not carry out tk my expectations surely i will give her a peace of mind and remind her of her boundaries that shw cannot cross. As for food she is given good food to eat and even now she is selective or she dare not eat because she is worried to put on weight. İ will not stop her if she make this choice as she is also accountable for her self to what she wants for her life.

Raquel Mondarte - I think the issue here is not about banning Myanmar domestic helpers....maybe the agencies who hire maids from Myanmar should high their qualifications on them...as I observed during my stay in my agency's bording house, a lot Myanmar ladies are don't know how to speak english......and you all singaporean if you tried to find a good maids why you should choice Myanmar ladies? Because they have low salary than us filipino? For me it's not fair...singaporean must treat fair on us working here...even we are filipinos , myanmar or whatever country we from....I have one friend from myanmar but she's very good in all works...from cleaning to cook and she taking care two kids and yes she can't speak English well but she really understand what her employer told to her...so all agencies try to make it higher in ur qualification in Myanmar maids....

Poh Yang Loong - Not happy with the pay and system then don't come, simple as that. How much are they earning back home? Give you one inch you want one ruler

Thuya Than Htike Aung - you all hire maid pay by cheap salary as 400 dollars and singaporean house wife can work as 1500 dollars job..that is why they hire maid from others country

Tan Chia Hao - Standard Maid cost $600 per month before levy. IF you can't speak simple English, then how do you expect $600 per month? $400 for a Myanmar maid is already a big grace given. Accept it or don't come in, simple as that.

Tin Htet Paing - WHY DO YOU ALL EXPECT GOOD ENGLISH FROM A FOREIGN "MAID"? Not all country's first language is English! Can't you even get this simple sense? If you want to communicate with a maid by English, just don't hire foreign maid. You don't want to pay "standard" salary and expect "standard" quality? It's that simple! (Winter: you mean employer must learn a maid's language?)

Hamzah Osman - Please dont ask too much if you cant deliver. Simple as that. If they want to be equal as other foreign maid , Then upgrade to be more competitive. Learn new skills and ask the new govt for courses. Maid here are paid based on their skills. If they dont have skills eg. to turn on the oven Then get them learn and took courses before they come to Singapore. We dont want accident happen to maid who came here and being able to communicate will prevent this from happening!

Even monkeys at the zoo must show some skills to perform at the Zoo to get MORE BANANAS from the zoo keeper.

Get this message clear please. We Singaporean, even treat animals at zoo more than Human. Tell me, which zoo is the best in Asia?

Maid here are not being left out too regardless which country they came from!!!!!!!

Dont just comment based on emotional and anger. Think before you talk!!!!!

i m not saying my english is good or maid is bad english. But if they cant understand simple english how to communicate. What if they give a wrong medicine to a child?? And Tis Tin Htet Paing.. We really hope Mynmar maid who murder her employer will suffer life sentence or death sentence if guilty. We dont depend on one single country maid either!

If the Phillipne maid was the 1st to be hang here in Singapore. Just pray hard for your people who murder 85 old women!!

Gracie Ang - I think a balanced view is needed here. What does it mean by most SG employers make their maids do housework before they leave the house on off day?

Those maids usually work for bosses living in HDB. Maids who work for bosses living in condo, mostly are much better off. Maid room, less chores, surfing internet in between work. & most maids nowadays know their rights because MOM officials tell them so during their SG briefing sessions before they are sent to their employers.

Nowadays, some maids, regardless of nationalities, come to SG, not happy with their work & think of ways to make their employer send them home by damaging their employer's belongings or threaten to report to MOM for alleged abuse by inflicting injuries on themselves. I've seen these happened over past three years when I go over to students' home for tuition.

Not all employers are devils & not all employees are angels either. Not happy? Don't hire, don't work lah. Train everyone in the house to help. Life still goes on.

Jessie Boey - To thuya than htike aung, your country ppl deserve this price become your ppl are uneducated n do not understand basic English! And dare to lie abt their education! By the way why u r staying in our country try to learn basic English too. Your country lifestyle is too different from us. Over here is a modern city but yr country is just an undeveloped country. Your government still wants us to give yr people a chance to work here, we r very different from you.

Emily Blunt - Please la most households maids here r pinoys or Indonesian becos they understand simple english unlike Myanmar maids! your threats dont work on us and lesser one foreigner as maid is better la. If They think their corrupt country so good than PLEASE dont let your people come Singapore. We don't welcome u

Lee Primavera - Better require their government or agencies to make them undergo basic English training first before deploying them to SG or HK. That would make a difference.

Josephine Jovelle Su - My ex helper is fluent in english. A uni grad from Myanmar but that does not make her a good experience helper.For your info, is best for them to know that if they are not prepared to do housework here and have their freedom limited its better for them to stay put. Screening them doesnt mean u get the best. So do not assume.

Adeline Chua - Well i must say when an empolyer takes a maid is also not easy because they have to train them until she fits into the family and able to cope with the work and emotions . She must have to understand her reason of coming here . No doubt she is here to earn money she has to also practice and perform her duties to her best too whether she is from which country . She must know where her margins are and not cross her boundaries . Otherwise the employers will not be happy with them . As working life in Singapore is busy maids are needed to help maintain in the household issues.

They must learn or know how to adjust or change their mindsets or attitudes if they want to work in Singapore .

Andy Thia - I hope our government should stand up now . First of all we can be considered the most welfare of all dealing with maids compare to other Asian or middle east countries. We don"t need them if they abusing us as employers . Remember Singapore is a dot in the map but we are not a pushover by any countries . Since they want to ban their people coming over here to work . I stand up for my country . LET DO IT . It ok .

Paul Yap - Myanmar themselves have basic human right in the first place or not?

Yong Sheng Ang - U see.. other country take care of their pple... but look at sg.. lousy

Muthu Balakrishnan - It's funny the PAP imposes a levy of $200 on employers of domestic help while it opens the door to so many foreigners in the PMET sector. If this levy is removed, the employers could be mandated to pay the domestic help more.

This is yet another example of the PAP's perverse policy.

Teacsiewdai • Understand that some employer get very frustrated as their maid cannot perform what they required. I engage a maid few years back. According to the maid agency, the maid can cook; can understand simple English and age at 24. But when I give her instruction patiently and I ask her to repeat what is my instruction to her? She says forget! I repeat it patiently and again I got the same answer is ‘forgotten’ 3 times. At that time, I am really blank! After a few chat with the maid and she declares that she is only 17 years old. After 2 weeks, I decided to send her back to the agency. To my advice to the employer, if you are not happy with your maid. Don’t need to abuse or dirty your hand because it is not worth it. Rather send them back to the agency. Lastly, I hope MOM can help up on this because when we select the maid whether they are underage, job history etc.. and those information is actually come in from the maid agency

Shang • I sincerely wish to point out that most of the young and single Myanmar girls are not ready to leave their country to work in Singapore. Most of them are immature and rather low stress resistant. The Myanmar Maid Agency also needs to play a more important role to inform them on the job roles and responsibilities required as a maid in Singapore. Instead, these girls are painted a wrong idea of coming to Singapore to work. They are being projected with the view of Singapore as a upmarket, fun, good for shopping & sight-seeing country. Most of these girls leave their county wanting to escape from poverty but not knowing the consequences and the expectation of being a foreign maid. I had my experience with a Myanmar maid who has given me a nightmare of my life after allowing her to have off-days on each month for relaxation for only 4 months. I had to quite my job after 2.5 months to send her back to Myanmar after working for me for 8 months....

No Name Small People • The worst thing about maid is someone is pocketing a large part of their hard work in the disguised name called levy. I rather the maid who worked so hard gets the full amount we are paying . we'll also be able to attract better qualified home assistant.

Brain Plumber • Yes, Singapore has to stop maid abuse whether they are from Indonesian, Myanmar, Cambodia or anywhere in the world. The government should spelt up heavy penalty for people who abused their maid.

However, some of these countries are throwing voicing out their anger against the host country but they never realized that in their own countries, they are abusing their own citizen that work as maid. I witnessed many years back a when I was in Myanmar looking for a place to set up a coffee house. I was brought to one colonial house and while I was looking around inside the hosue, I step into the kitchen and I was shock to see a dark skinny (with only skin covering the bone) human being couching at one corner of the kitchen like a monkey. She look so frighten when I look at her and it seem like she has very little to eat and her condition is really deplorable. The Myanmar are treating their own citizen like animal and the authority is not doing anything about it and here they are complaining that S'porean are treating their maid badly.

Frederick L • Before going to work in a foreign land , good for maids to learn the basic language for communication. Then some individual rights like abuse by boss and salary need to be addressed. Basic housework and cooking skills should also be taught . Maybe have a maid certificate for those qualified to work to ensure ability to perform.

Lion King • Why don't Myanmar totally ban those girls coming to Sinapore? If Myanmar can provide better jobs, better pay and without letting their boss to exploit them then very well stay put in your own homeland? Don't kick up a fuss to demand more just like Indonesia.

Pepe • Are we doing the Myanmar Government a big favour by allowing their citizens to work in Singapore, or are they doing Singapore a big favour by allowing their citizens to make a living here?

Who is paying the piper and who is the piper? The Singapore Government should simply ban or stop issuing work permit to these countries who think we owe them a living - be they the Philippines, Indonesia or Myanmar. Singapore should make it more difficult for them to make a living here to support their families back home. Let them swim across the Straits of Johor under cover of darkness or sail across the Straits of Singapore in their rickety boats during the Monsoons to get onto our shore - then they will learn to appreciate or even kowtow to the Singapore Government and people!

In contrast, the Malaysian workers waking up at 3 or 4 am to make their trips across their two-stroke engine motorcycles across the dark highways and endure long hours at the immigrant crossings, and then returning home in their soiled clothes - they never made any complaints or demands about working in Singapore. Indeed they are more than happy - and grateful - that the Singapore Government allows them to come here to make a living. They come here happily doing the work they want to do, and go home happily earning the wages they expected.

I am not suggesting that ill-treatments of foreign workers or non-payment of their market-rate salary should be condoned. What I am suggesting is that the people and often the Government of these countries shouldn't make unreasonable demands like asking for minimum wages or mandatory days off when even some Singaporean workers are not entitled or given. These workers come here on their own accord and free will!

They should know that Singapore REAL pioneers from China, India and the archipelago never made these demands in the early days when they worked as coolies or rickshaw pullers and rubber plantation workers and took opium to relieve their pain. These present days migrants appear to want Singapore to lay the red carpets for them and to treat them like princes and princesses! It makes me to conclude that the Governments of these countries appear very happy to let their people live in poverty in their shanty houses without the proper or even basic sanitation and water supplies.

Dennis • You want to know what is modern day slavery? How about 78 year old Singaporean who only a year ago was making S$750 cleaning toilets for 9 hours a day and 6 days a week? Mind you, he was a true blue pioneer Singaporean who contributed to the nation-building. And foreign maids are de-crying slavery and getting support. How about some support for our cleaners, security guards, taxi drivers etc?

Dylan • Very few Singaporean would want to abuse their maid.Myanmar is going too fast and they are not ready. End of the day, Do u think they really want to protect their people or they just want more MONEY. Singapore employers are always in the losing end!

Nicole • It's a disgrace of Singapore and us Singaporeans to be singled out, alongside HK with the ban. It show that when it comes to the abuse situation of maids, we are still not handling it well.

A • hey bodoh, then they can very well go back to their own cuntry, no body forced them to work in Singapore!

how much does their own country pay??? HUH!!! need I tell you??? hmmmmNO!

BRONDONG • Myanmar Government should comply to our terms and condition NOT the other way round.

Ski • I don't think sporeans abuse the mynmars,..as they put it. Only a handful are able to adapt outside spore, its best mynmar condition and educate their maids before sending them here.

No loss if they don't come in . afterall they are not popular and we have to teach them everything from English to common sense and how to tell lies properly.

J Foo • They need jobs and income for their family. Millions of jobless in this country. if you stop Myanmar maids coming here, the losers are the maids. More jobless, no income, more poverty.. They are the loser for stopipng the maids from coming to Singapore

Ihatemsg • Millions of jobless in their county doesn't mean that Singapore should hire them at $299 whereas living expenses are $2000 and above. I must salute Myanmar gov. that opted the right way instead of neither way!

Roland • Myanmar overseas employement agencies.should first teach and train their intended maids to spore speaks basis, english., this is main causes of disputes., between employers and myanmar maids. Talking big., and its just empty., most myanmar do not speaks basis english., although i think over all., they are quite smarts.

Why not suspend also the work permits of those engineers coming to work in Singapore? They should be building Myanmar, up fast and furious, to boost their economy. Not to boost Singapore economy!

Angel • We should not be overly reliance on domestic maids. The kids grow up spoiled and unable to do things on their own

I do not understand why the authority keep allowing maid to come here. If we do not allow maids, perhaps family can be closer as grandparents look after children.

We can also have locals signed up to be caregiver for children. Instead of relying on foreign workers, we should trained locals to handle children and family issues. the transport will not be overly crowded on weekends.

Mac12 • By all means, yes, stopped the Myanmar maids and anyone else who feels the same from coming to Singapore...no, banned them permanently....and why not?...because this is their way of squeezing every ounce of oil out of Singaporean employers...yup, it's one way of upping the pay and all but have anybody ever thought that out of the thousands of employers in Singapore, only a handful of employers are undeserving of employing anyone....because they're either mentally sick or were born with a sadistic streak in them. The law must deal with these offenders as strictly as possible and MOM must prevent them from ever being able to employ anyone to be their maids, and that should include the immediate family members who' re staying with the offender...this is because it's with their connivance that such ill treatment can continue without interruption...in this way if the wife is convicted of ill treating the maid, the husband cannot employ another maid to replace her otherwise the whole rigmarole with ensue again...there're laws in Singapore that should enable the offenders be adequately punished if the courts do not just give them a slap on the wrists as punishments...in this way, employers will certainly bear in mind that if they were to offend and ill treat their maids, not only they will be the ones who're punished but also their children who may need the services of these maids in their daily lives. With such in mind, employers will show more restraint when dealing with their maids, errant or otherwise.....

PAPLover • Maintaining maid is not cheap. Not only you pay their salary, you also need to feed them, they use your water and electricity and other consumption with high cost and expenses of living in Singapore. When you add that up, you will rather not have a maid.

KM • Maids are also fellow human beings. If they could help it , they won’t want to work in Spore away from family , friends and love ones. Lets not take advantage of their misfortune , as we cannot be sure that the same misfortune will one day befall us or our children. History have shown us that there is no guarantee in life. So please have the decency to treat them well and with respect and as one of your family members if you need their services. Put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if you are mistreated and taken advantage of in a foreign land ? People will forget what you said , but they will not forget how you have make them feel about you. For one day, it will come and haunt you , your family or children in one way or another.

Koreanpurchase • Good. More space for SG. If Myanmar is so "concerned" for its citizens, then develop the nation & create jobs so its people don't need to ever have to come out & clutter other countries.

Oliver • About time. On TRaSh one maid was refered to as a slave when the m0ron poster said that someone should find the maids' owner. This master/slave mentality shows Singapore as no better than some some third world African countries.

Singapore is shaping up to become a major destination for domestic workers from Myanmar, with the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation preparing to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with its Singaporean counterparts in the coming weeks.

The deal, which could see up to 1000 maids head to Singapore each month, is being signed despite concerns about migrant rights in the city-state and after the Myanmar government ordered an indefinite halt on the sending of maids to Hong Kong, pending an assessment of working conditions there.

The federation’s vice chair, U Soe Myint Aung, said employment agents in Hong Kong have repeatedly requested that more maids be sent from Myanmar, but outstanding questions about the safety and well-being of migrant workers in the former British colony have prompted them to hold off for the time being.

Several overseas employment agents based in Yangon – all of whom asked not to be identified – said the reason for stopping the flow of maids to Hong Kong was the media attention surrounding a case of domestic abuse that occurred earlier this year, just as the first group of 92 workers from Myanmar arrived in the city in February.

At the time, Hong Kong was facing protests over the alleged torture of an Indonesian housekeeper by her employer. The scandal made headlines across the globe. The employer was arrested, and the maid, Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, was later named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine.

The case meant the Myanmar group received an unusually high level of media attention – enough to prompt the government to halt the legal migration of domestic workers since then, despite there being no suggestion that Myanmar domestic workers have been subject to abuse in Hong Kong.

In the case of Singapore, U Soe Myint Aung said the federation hoped the upcoming MOU with the Singaporean Association of Employment Agencies would greatly expand the number of Myanmar maids travelling to the city-state. Currently about 300 women travel to Singapore each month to work as domestic helpers under an existing MOU, but the federation hopes the new agreement will see that figure increase to 1000, while at the same time allow Myanmar workers to find jobs in hotels and other hospitality industries.

The gap between the Hong Kong and Singapore policies has led some labour and human rights groups to question the government’s larger labour strategy. Many of the problems the government claims to be concerned about in Hong Kong are also rampant in Singapore, where about 30,000 Myanmar women already work as domestic helpers.

“There is a lot more that needs to be done to uphold just basic labour standards for domestic workers” in Singapore, said Jolovan Wham, the executive director of the Singapore-based Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics.

Mr Wham led a workshop in Yangon late last month with local civil society groups and some members of the federation to create a list of recommendations for the upcoming MOU. He said the current agreement between the two nations falls “well short” of international standards. “We are seeing more abused [Myanmar] domestic workers coming to us for help,” he said.

He said the most common problems faced by these workers are debt bondage and physical abuse, although there are also complaints of sexual assault. Many human rights groups, including the United Nations, have released reports documenting similar abuse of maids across all nationalities in Singapore.

When asked about the reports of abuse and exploitation in Singapore, U Min Hlaing said none of these reports had reached his office and declined to comment further. U Soe Myint Aung said human rights concerns will be addressed in the new MOU, and added that the Singaporean labour industry is well-equipped to handle any problems domestic workers might face.

However, migrants in Hong Kong are afforded a number of rights denied to them in Singapore, including the right to unionise, to take at least one day off per week and to quit whenever they desired.

Mr Wham said it is the responsibility of the Myanmar government to ensure the safety of their overseas workers because bigger receiving nations like Singapore have shown little political will to address the issue of migrant rights.

Myanmar domestic maid trainee Win Pa Pa, 23, is raring to work in Singapore. The former garment factory worker used to earn only about US$120 (S$148) a month. But if she works as a domestic maid in Singapore, she can hope to earn about US$363 (S$449) monthly.

"I want to work in Singapore because I think it's a safe country and I can earn more money,” she said.

“I heard there are some problems between maids and employers in Singapore but I'm not afraid because the trainers advise us on these problems. My agent and boss are in Singapore and if I have problems with employers, I will contact my boss and he will take care of us."

Domestic maid trainees learn basic skills like how to care for an elderly person. In fact, many of them have never experienced life as a domestic worker. But agencies say that more are willing to step forward in order to try their hands at this in the hope of earning higher wages as well as to give themselves and their families, a better living.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Myanmar maids worth the minimum salary set by source country?

No. Most fresh Myanmese FDWs barely speak or understand basic English. It is hard to communicate with them and get them to do housework or duties as per your instructions... the way you want not how maid wants. They certainly don't have prior experience working as maids. You may have demonstrated, reminded maid but she can appear forgetful or don't understand.... if she 'catch no ball', you can only suffer 'internal injury' .... scolding, correcting mistakes and your instructions means nothing to her. Your words are 'alien'.

To employ maids from Indonesia, you need patience too and endurance. Their English may be a bit better than Myanmese but certainly not on par with Filipinos. Remember what I faced with M, my only ex-Indonesian maid?

To make these two nationality worthy to be hired as FDWs (they asked for minimum salary so shouldn't employer be allowed to employ a FDW that is worthy?), MOM should make them undergo at least 2 weeks of mandatory basic conversational English before work permit, medical test, etc being processed. Employers should be given a chance to speak to these FDWs and find out how much they understand each other, can they build a long relationship, is it alright for them to be paired, etc?

Spore is not a dumping ground or charity place for people who need money or want a 'paid vacation cum work' but CANNOT deliver what her job expects .... am I wrong? You felt I'm too demanding?

A stay-home friend in daughter's school said Myanmar maid is good if you are a stay home employer, can drill/train FDW with lots of love, offer understanding and tolerance... spare her your abundant time! Her Myanmar FDW was house trained for almost 1.5 years before she was allowed to take the child to special school. In school, English is the main language for communication. There's no Myanmese translator so maid has to know simple English in order to understand what the teachers are saying.

Myanmar maid's Employer commented:
"Their salary are not cheaper. However, be prepared, even though experienced, their cleanliness and performance in housework are not better than other nationalities. Only good point is majority not so outspoken. I have employed philippino, Indonesian and currently Myanmar maid. Make me most angry is Myanmar maid. You can repeat 10 times and they still forget your instructions. You must be very very patience with them. Of course there are some exceptional good one."

"Now, all maids are about the same salary. Myan maids grate on my nerves the most. They don't seem to have a grasp on what service means, what a maid does or how they should behave."

"Myanmar maid are not cheap in fact. Actually they prefer to have higher quality of life. Also, they know how to use computer .
I feel that indo and philliphinos maids are better if you will like a maid do purely household chores."

"Employing a helper really depends on luck. This is the first time I employed a Myanmar Helper reason being there are not many Myanmese Helpers in our estate therefore the chances of her yakking with other domestic helpers are very slim. Even with 2 years experience but she remind me of our 1st Indonesian Maid (fresh) whom joined us 8 years ago. Her first 3 mths with us was getting on my nerves ( I admit I'm not a patient person) therefore she had to withstand all my scolding and pressure. Surprisingly, her stress tolerance are very high and fast learner as well. From someone with zero knowledge of cooking to someone who know how to cook chicken curry and Nasi Lemak within 3 mths, I would say it she is a hardworking helper. Frankly speaking, we don't mind paying her a bit more if she continue to perform well and keep upgrading herself (for long term)"

"i paid my current myanmar maid $500 no off day, work in SG 3.5 yrs before.
seriously have to think twice getting myanmar maid, i feel they are overpaid.
work 3.5 yrs in SG still speak bad english, most of the time cannot understand what she says. worst still, work so long in SG cant cook.
when interview her, she say can cook actually is cook porridge only and taste is horrendous. only plus point is, they listen and wont argue or rebuke."

"I recently got a myanmar maid, and within 2nd days already start complaining and wanted to go back to agency. She complaint that my child (22mth old) is too naughty for her to take care. After much negotiation and consultation from the agency, we are still unable to change her mind. And finally send her back within 2 week.

Now the problem here is to get another replacement, even the fault is not on me, I still have to pay again for the new Document fees, run away bond, Insurance and levy. ( processing fees,maid lodging fees waived) Even though I will be getting back 70% back of the previous insurance, I still loose over 25% of that amount, and not forgetting that run away bond again.

Total estimated cost on me will be $300 after deducting that 70% refund from insurance. And not forgetting about the levy which is still on me until this maid got sold. I understand that the agency will impose 2 mths salary penalties on the maid, plus again they can sell off to profit again. But for me, it like I'm in the losing end.

Worst part is that, to get the next replacement, the current one has to be sold first.
Has anyone has similar case as me ? And what happens if the maid cant be sold with 21 days ?"

"I understand your feeling. But what to do? This is the policy in Singapore. I also feel very unfair if it is the maid who request to get transfer but we as an employer get penalty.

Unless we can live without a maid if not.... we have to follow the rule.
If the maid can't be "sold", you have to pay for her air ticket to send her back."

"I had similar experience with yours. The only difference was that my former maid had ran away from home the very next day after we had caught her stealing red-handed. This happened before we could bring her back to the agency as we were still deciding what to do with her. She had only been with us for less than a month.

Luckily she was found 3 days later at the MOM. We were also stuck with this maid and paid all the extra expenses (Govt Levy + Insurance + Food & Lodging at SGD 15/per day for 21 days) till she get employed again. The Agency assured me that they would try their best to "market" her ASAP so that the liability would be released from my name soon.

We had made a police report against her (Stealing + Run Away) but the police officer in charge had only made a statement of her running away. He said we could use this police statement to cancel her work permit and stop paying for her levy. As the money that the maid stole is "too little" to justify that she had indeed stolen from us, he refused to add on the statement.

We then called up the maid agency and they told us not to cancel the work permit otherwise they would have problem in transfering the maid's current loan to prospective employer.

Until then, we really had no choice but to pray that she could get a new job ASAP. In the meanwhile, we could only wait for a new replacement after settling with this maid and again paid for extra expenses (Govt Levy + Insurance + Documents + Health check-up etc) for the replacement maid which again is of no guarantee."

Winter: Modern maids (applies to all source countries) are like princesses, never really gone through hardship in their home country so it is tough for such pampered person to ‘stoop low’ and become FDWs. They were sweet talked to fly over for a holiday cum good-life job. During interview, maybe employers should probe more into her life. My ex-filipino maid (#2) was a single mother but she doesn't need to take care of her own boy nor do housework. Everything was done by her mum. She was not exposed to harsh life, well protected/sheltered by parents so it wasn't easy to manage an adult cry baby... she cried almost everyday in my house! She cried not because she missed her son but the 'hardship' and the uneasiness of taking care of my special needs girl. Yes, she missed her good life at home. If maid mentally unprepared to 'slog as FDW', it is tough for employers to babysit and counsel her. After #2 left me, agency arranged for her to look after 3 kids and then she feedback to friends in my girl's school, as well as rang me hinting she wanted to come back.... looking after only one child is definitely more relaxing! The chores weren't mountain high. I must admit as my girl grows older, it is tougher to handle her. It is a job I don't think any Myanmese or Indonesian FDW can handle. Filipino may be too smart but being able to communicate reduced my time spent to train and 'hitting myself' 鸡同鸭讲 好比撞墙.十指不占阳春水 从没真正过苦日子 如何能降低水准当人家的女佣？

Myanmese: Recently in the International Newspapers Al Jazeera it was written that Singapore maid agency in shopping centre was selling maids in a mall. They have big signs saying "No day off" and "Lowest Pay". They have the girls standing there for sale, like pigs in a market. You can read it here.

This sickens me and it is wrong. It is like slavery last time, but like many things in Singapore, they can even make the most sickening thing a legal thing, because of their play on words.

It is also illegal - Singapore has laws to say that every week must have one day off. Signs saying `No Off Day' is against the law. But the Government don't care because there is no big pressure, they make a law which they do not care about. The cheap maid problem started about 6 months ago, but 3 months ago there is more problem. What happened? Here I tell you.

Since our country open up, some Singaporean make friends with Myanmar labor agent, because our country is open up now. They ask for many many girls. The Myanmar agent can supply. But there are many girls and not fast enough get employed.

Most of these bad Singapore agencies are new agencies. They are not like the older, trusted agencies. They sell on price.Last time, if employer want a maid, they will have to pay maybe Singapore $1,500-$2,000 as agent fees. Also, employer pay the maid debt in advance. So, later, the maid's pay maybe 3-5 months have to pay back to employer to reimburse employer's forward payment - it is fair.

The good traditional Myanmar agent very take care of the family, generally. They lend money to the girl's families while they wait for the 3-5 months for the money to come. Not so much money, just a bit, to survive. They know every girl they send, and they listen to the girls' problems and translate to the Singapore agent. It is a good relationship and fair. Because Myanmar people have to earn some money overseas, this is a good way.

But today, some agents, are terrible.
The agent in Singapore today, because they have no trust and goodwill among the Singapore buyers, they drop the price. They give FREE maid. Who pay for the agent in Singapore and Myanmar? It's the maid. The maid who get employed for FREE, now have to work for 6-12 months and all her pay is collected given to agent. Employer don't need to pay anything!

For 6-12 months to work for free, the poor girls have no money to send back. The girls and their families really don't understand this complicated system of debt bondage. They work like a slave for no money. The parents at home, usually old, have no food and their daughter and children are taken overseas to work.

The new generation Myanmar `mass production' agents treat the girls like things. They don't care the girls or families. All they care is the money. But worst thing happen, because of Singapore law, it allow Singapore employer to send back the girl to Myanmar, without need any reason. But now, more and more girls get send back to Myanmar, not because girls are bad, but because Singapore employer don't have to pay anything, so they don't lose anything when they send back the girl and get a new girl. Some family one money change 3 girls.

What happen to the girl? They still have the debt! They still have the 6-12 months debt they have to pay to the `new bad Myanamar agent' and `new bad Singapore agent'. So when the girl come back, the `new bad Myanmar agent' try to threaten the girl and her family to get money. What they have to do? They have to sell their farm land and house. Then they have nothing left. They go stay with relative, always not welcome.

For Singapore employer it is easy to send back the girl, but for Myanmar girl, it is destruction for the family. To pay back 12 months of S$450 it is taking 90 months based on S$60 salary a month of a farm worker. It is really destruction of the entire family not only the girl.

Among agents, there is big problem. The traditional agents both in Singapore and Myanmar who give some care for the girls' welfare, they have no business now, all the business in Singapore go to the "free low pay no off day maid seller". Of course! You give free, everybody want!

The maid agencies in Singapore and Myanmar now think that, unless Singapore government acts to protect the maids, they will die. They are under pressure to change to become the terrible free slave seller. Many have changed, but some remain strong. I have spoken to the agents, and Myanmar agents are under pressure that they have to supply maids to the "free low pay no off day maid seller" in Singapore. But they don't want! Because if they supply the maid to the slave seller they know the maid will get sent back and the whole family suffer. But what to do? They also need their pay.

As a person who cares about the country, I tell you that Myanmar has to be able to send maids to Singapore. Myanmar government does not have the power or advanced sophistication to improve for their girls. And worse, every new initiative by the Myanmar government to protect the girls, they have no power to enforce it. The true people who can make it better for our girls, is the Singapore government. They have to let go the old times where Singapore was a poor country, and have to exploit foreign labor to advance themselves. Generations of foreign workers have already been sacrificed to give Singapore the beautiful city they have today built on the blood of foreign labor.

Singapore government should see that it is enough and it is time to change their policy. Stop the policy of trying to gain advantage out of every deal they make with their neighbor country, and start doing policies which respect human rights and the dignity of humanity. Singapore government should embrace human dignity and workers' rights, and embrace all our girls which have spent their blood to make their heaven in Singapore possible. Stop trying to cover up. You have work to do, dear Singapore government. If the richest country in the world continue to have the greed out of human misery, it will come a time where every drop of blood and sweat and tears spent by foreigners to build your beautiful country, you may have to pay out of the blood and sweat and tears of your own people. (Winter: Nonsensical! Spore's growth has nothing to do with Myanmar nor built by you. If you define yourself as slave then stay in your comfort zone - your source country and rot there. Nobody would be stupid to work in a place that pays lesser and treating you like slaves/animals.)

Karien Van Ditzhuijzen: If a company hires an expensive headhunter to find a person for a job, who pays the fee? The company, not the employee. It should be the same for domestic workers.
(Winter: are FDWs head hunted? Are they worthy of the fee Employers paid? If FDWs are not professionals, why employer need to engage you with high fees?)

FB maid: It's a matter of negotiation power, Karien Van Ditzhuijzen. The laws of Singapore are stacked against the foreign maid, especially the ability of employer to send back maid without reason. What is the use of any contract anyway? Because at any time, the contract is totally in the rubbish if the employer sends the maid back to own country. (Winter: I strongly advise modern employers to use repatriation as your weapon to kick out bad FDWs .... if there's no maid loan to blackmail you. Every time a lousy FDW is kicked out, Spore will have one lesser headache. Let them spread words at home that Spore has no gold for them to dig and maid agencies are blood suckers. By allowing errant maids to remain in Spore (recycle/transfer), they pollute our country with nonsensical thoughts and greedy demands. Employers, if you have the power/extra cash to repatriate FDW, please do it!)

As the writer mentioned, the law is made to disadvantage the maid. Every good protection law for the maid, is made rubbish.

This makes the country look like a villager dressed up like a businessman and taught to say a few words properly. The embarassment of this situation is not for Myanmar, Indonesia and the Philippines - they are the victims. The embarassment is to the Singapore nation.

Ray Mund: I can just say one thing to all who plan to come to Singapore to work :
Think thrice, think another thrice before you decide. This place filled with sickos, I term them Sickaporeans, you're better off working in HK then here because in HK the laws protecting DH is stronger. Don't come to Sgp. It is a living hell.

Mahal Ko Sya: They doesn't care as long as they can earn money from the maids... Some agencies really horrible!

Tiyan YanTi: Sorry to said if u don't hv enough money to hire the Maids so better just ask ur wife ur sister ur aunty ur mothers or just ask ur family members to doing Maid Job
For this kind of agency is really very heartless where is ur brain event u hv is highly educated but why u must earn money from our Maids
They always said that our maids is stupid actually who is the most stupid n poorly??????
For all those agents don't forget that without maids u don't hv any income to feed ur family's so please be more respect to our maids.
Coz we are human same u. We are not toys that u can selling us with a cheep price!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yan Andriyan: Some agency just beeing happy when the helper,,, want to change employer ,,so they can get more money again ,,,,and again,,, that is always happen with new helper,( they think they are big BOSS,,,,but actully helper are they are BOSS,, because from the helper,,, agency get money,,,,

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Extracted from here.
I am just normal man with my wife and 2 children, residing in Singapore. This is the real and terrible story I have experienced during last 35days, from 16 Feb to 22 Mar 2014, even progressive at this moment. I feel that it is my obligation to share this story to prevent 2nd victim, because many of Singapore residences are likely to expose to this risk. In such case, I am willing to help and share my know-how to anyone.
Day-0 (From 6 Feb ~ 16 Feb 2014).

On 6 Feb 2014, myanmar FDW was finally collected from the agency . She looks just standard myanmar country girl (Born at 1988), and no any maid experience before. She seems to live far away from civilization, judging from she didn't even know how to open car door. In document, even score 3 out of 5 level in simple english ability, she never understand any of my talk/order without body language. No other choice.

She looks quite nervous when she come to my house, but it doesn't take so long time for her to get confidence on housework. Strangely, the more she acts with confidence, the more my wife feel nervous, because my wife observe her not to sense the leaking gas on the stove. it is scary, gas explosion will kill all the family as well as the innocent neighbor.

On top of her insensibility, her overact is another worry. Like any human being, she also wants to show us her performance by doing more than she was asked to do. For example, we asked to wash the rice, she turn on the gas and tried to cook the rice. We asked to gather up the laundry, she tried to iron it. She was asked to wipe the floor in the room, she try to clean the window. All of her overact may jeopardize my family, even though her nature/intention is pure and nice.

In the morning of 16 Feb (sunday), I heard my wife scolded the maid very harshly, because she observed her stepping on the bed and climbing on the window. She overacted again, because she was asked to tidy up bedding only. She just smile back after getting scolding. I wonder she know she just get scolded. Usually, on every sunday, I drive my wife and 2nd kid to church, leaving 1st kid at home. After hiring this maid, my wife force me to leave at home, and monitor the maid until she fully trust the maid. When my wife left home at 11:50 AM, I was watching TV at living room, 1st kid was at studying room, and maid was supposed to be my children room to tidy up the bedding and clothes. 5min later, I looked around to find what she is doing, but I can only find a fallen chair. My instinct tell something is wrong, because this chair is supposed to be in another room. I just look outside the open window. Oh my gosh!!! . There is my maid lying down on the ground floor after jumping out of the window.

Winter: Safety is in maid's hand. Your employer is not your nanny or babysitter and have to constantly remind you what is dangerous. If you died, your family won't be able to touch or see you forever. When you're careless, your employer suffers monetary losses while your beloved family will lose you forever. Don't be so reckless and thoughtless. Spore is not a playground. If you're really badly treated, there are many people waiting to be your saviour and won't hesitate to pour shit on your employer. Help is either a phone call away or an unit away (neighbour). Please note that you can't fly like butterfly nor climb like a monkey. Please behave like a sensible human. Be responsible, take safety seriously!I know communication is important so I employed Filipino because she can speak and understand simple English. Filipinos are not the best FDWs, they are well known to be self-centred and demanding but all these 'flaws' have to be accepted because she has better English. If your FDW just smile or say 'yes' without understanding your instructions, can you tolerate and accept? How much time and how long can you train a person from zero to nursery level of communication? Are you open to risks? Example, the water is boiling, maid forgot to turn off the gas and the sprouting water caused the flame to be out, what's going to happen? I mentioned before, my ex-Indonesian maid couldn't smell the leaking gas, her senses were out or switched off! You told your FDW it is dangerous, she just smile but didn't get the meaning of fall from heights and will be killed, blame who? SIP trainer? MOM for being so pro-maid? Blame Employers for not leaving their work and watch the maid carry out her chores like an eagle (think we're so free?)? Bottom line, FDWs have to know how to work safely. It is MOM/SIP's duty to ensure all maids understand in their native language. Videos have to be shown to let FDW know once dropped died, she's gone forever.

Each time my husband and I consider hiring a maid, something happens and we take a step back, again. Just two weeks ago, we discussed if it was more cost-effective to get a maid to cope with the housework and meal preparation for our kids instead of depending on a part-time cleaner and dining out. Then came the news about two weeks ago that a 23-year-old Indonesian had fallen 30 storeys to her death at Telok Blangah Heights.

That makes six deaths in the first three months this year alone. One is already too many. And it's worrying. But can Singaporean families live without the extra pair of hands?

Madam Lai Kiat Yee, 58, who sees maids tagging behind their "mums" and "sirs" and feeding the children, sometimes wonders if the parents do any parenting at all. Or do they leave everything to the maids and become only part-time parents? Like her own daughter, who has a four-year-old son and a seven-month-old baby. Madam Lai, who sells claypot noodles at the Beach Road hawker centre, says in Cantonese: "My daughter and her husband have to work shifts and they don't have a choice."

Not that it's an unusual situation for many young families, with both husband and wife having to work. Mr Chia Bin Hao, 69, who runs a coffee stall in Toa Payoh, is able to empathise because all his five married children have a maid each. "You don't feel it until we come together for a family meal; that's when we go 'Wah our maids make up half a table (of 10)'," jokes the grandfather to 13 grandchildren aged two months to 17 years.

With the spotlight on maids again this week, insurance manager Susan Phoon wants to know what she can do to prevent a tragedy.

Mrs Phoon, 45, has a pair of one-year-old twins and depends on her Filipino maid to take care of them. Her Indonesian maid takes care of Mrs Phoon's bedridden mother-in-law and does the housework. "It's virtually impossible to cope on our own, with both my husband (who runs a renovation business) and I working," she says.

This week, the Ministry of Manpower has reminded employers and the public to proactively ensure that their maids are not placed in a position where their safety is jeopardised. Between 2007 and 2011, 24 maids died after falling from a height while they were cleaning windows or hanging laundry.

There were 45 non-fatal falls in the same period. Madam Yip Cui Ing, 50, a butcher, feels that it's unfair to put the blame on employers. She says in Mandarin: "It's always sad to read the news that another maid has died while cleaning windows in high-rise homes. "But frankly, some of those with maids will tell you how they just don't listen to instructions despite the constant reminders."

Mr Henry Quah, a retiree, 70, agrees. He lives with his son and daughter-in-law and their three children, eight, 10 and 13. They have an Indonesian maid. Says Mr Quah: "My daughter-in-law carefully trains our maid and keeps reminding her about safety rules. "Yet there have been so many occasions that we've caught her standing on a stool while she's cleaning, with the window grilles open." He adds: "Once, I even caught the maid leaning out of the window. My heart nearly jumped out." I can understand how Mr Quah feels.

It's easy for those who don't have a maid to pin the blame on employers whenever something goes wrong. Or to be quick to suggest rolling out all kinds of bans or penalties. While I agree that the onus is on the employers to train their maids properly, what about the employment agents here and back in the maids' home towns?

If there is no safe way to clean window exteriors, then the maids should not be asked to do it.

When hanging laundry: There should not be too much clothing on the pole The heavier clothing should be closer to the maid. Lighter clothes can be on the far end of the pole MOM will take action against employers who are negligent or who disregard the safety of their maids.

Under the law, employers should ensure that maids perform their duties in a way which does not endanger her life or personal safety and is in accordance with the work practices stipulated by MOM in its training course and safety materials.

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Runaway maid, AsiaOne, 22 May 2012A maid was found dead at the foot of an HDB block in Sembawang yesterday morning. Her employer, known as Madam Goh, told The Straits Times that she suspects that this is due to an attempt by her Myanmar maid to run away.The maid, 24, had fallen out of the 13th-storey flat's kitchen window and was found motionless at the foot of Block 421, Canberra Road at about 6.20am. She was declared dead on the scene by the paramedics. The maid had been working with Madam Goh's family for about two months, and was its second maid. Her duties included housework and taking care of Madam Goh's wheelchair-bound father. However, she was found to be defiant and did not follow instructions. Hence, her employer had already asked the agency to take her back. She then agreed to stay on until a replacement came.Madam Goh, who had woken up at 6am only to find the maid missing, said she didn't sense anything wrong before the incident. She related that the maid had even wished them good night before going to bed at about 10.30pm the night before. Saying the maid knew where the keys to the front door and gate were, Madam Goh said she would rather the maid had used the gate to run away, instead of the window.

After years of not actively enforcing what it once regarded as an illicit cross-boundary trade, Myanmar has legalised the export of maids and drawn up rules to better protect its women abroad. The rules have been communicated to agents in Singapore in recent weeks, three of which will affect employers here.

First, Myanmar maids must receive a minimum monthly wage of S$450 (US$353.38). Second, they must get at least a day off in a month, according to Myanmar newspaper reports. Third, their recruitment fees must not exceed four months of their salary. But agents in Singapore said that the rules have yet to be implemented, and could remain loosely enforced for some time.

Most Myanmar maids arriving here are still being paid between S$400 and S$430, and do not get any days off. They are also charged up to eight months of salary - or more than S$3,000 - in recruitment fees, which lets employers pay fees as low as S$300.

In Singapore, since Jan 1 last year, all maids hired or who have their work permits renewed must get a weekly day off or pay in lieu. The governments of the Philippines and Indonesia have mandated minimum monthly wages for maids of $500 and $450 respectively, and a weekly day off. The Philippines does not want maids to pay any recruitment fee, while Indonesia has capped it at about S$2,000, or six months' salary. (Winter: FDWs and source countries finding ways to make employers absorb costs and be given poorer work performance as well as FDW attitude. Come to Spore have fun at Employers' expenses and be choosey/demanding?)

Industry players said the changes for the hiring of Myanmar maids are important, as they form the fastest growing group of domestic workers here and need better safeguards. The number of Myanmar maids in Singapore has grown by 50 per cent over the past two years, from about 20,000 to 30,000 now. In comparison, over the same period, the number of Indonesian maids increased by 25 per cent - from 100,000 to 125,000 - while that of Filipinos grew by about 30per cent, from 55,000 to 70,000. These were based on estimates by embassies and maid agents.

Agents said Myanmar's legalisation will also help employers here. There have been persistent complaints about the maids' poor training and high turnover. Agents estimate that the majority of Myanmar maids change employers at least twice in their first six months in Singapore. There are also more runaways. Between last September and last month, 61 maids sought shelter with migrant worker group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), compared with 49 in the same period in 2012.

The churn is partly because their work was seen as illegal back home. Many left Myanmar as tourists without any training and were offered poor employment terms. "Many Myanmar maids are not trained, and their recruitment fees are too high. That is why the turnover is so high," said Best Home Employment Agency owner Tay Khoon Beng. Home's executive director Jolovan Wham agreed, saying that many ran away because they were discouraged by the hefty recruitment fees they paid. (Winter: this recruitment fee wasn't imposed by Employer, we don't get a cent. Employer also need to pay maid agency for its no good services)

"Up to eight months of their salary goes to paying the recruitment fees. In the meantime, they can't send any money home. So many just give up and run away." (Winter: FDW runs away, Employer incur losses yet activists felt FDWs are doing the right thing!)

The Myanmar government has given the nod to Singapore and Hong Kong to source for maids legally. Taiwan is expected to receive approval too. Besides the new rules, the women will have to attend month-long training programmes in centres in Myanmar, where they will be taught simple English and housekeeping skills, and learn about life in Singapore. At least 10 training centres have been established since last year, of which two are run by Singapore training course provider Grace Management & Consultancy Services and its Myanmar partners.

Its managing director, Richard Khoo, said: "We will ensure the maids learn about life in a city like Singapore. We don't want them to have a culture shock." Stephen Chia, who owns 21st Century Employment Agency, said the Myanmar government needs time to put in place a system to enforce the rules, and believes that the quality of maids will improve soon. Employers agreed that the Myanmar maids will be able to work well here with better training.

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15 Sep - My view is the same. Although talking about a 6-week old new Myanmar maid, such maid's problem/behaviour will surface more often and it can happen to any nationality. You give FDW a room, you wanted your FDW to feel at home, have some privacy or be welcomed, you may have to pay a high price for your kindness. With the mandatory off days, allowing FDWs to seek pleasure and fun outside at the expense of employers .... employing maid will be a headache. If maids are sensible and responsible, it is alright to let FDWs take a break. Maids are easily led astray and turn bad ... too gullible or they flew to Spore with evil intention? They deserve sympathy?

FDWs tend to use excuses such as human rights, it is not wrong to find love in Spore, etc .... I will direct the starter to these problems - the filipino FDWs. They misused their rights, repay nice employers with problems, abused employers' kindness and trust. Most people know filipino FDWs are quite vain and demanding. They are liars but they felt they were forced to lie, nothing wrong to use some white lies to secure a job and make their unfortunate employers face the real them - a person who is seeking love/sex or pleasure, using FDW as a disguise. Can you stand your FDW bringing man/men into your house? Do you allow your house to be a brothel? A maid who has only worked for 6-week is so daring, who knows if that was her only man. New maid can do this, what about those who are in Spore for months or years? What's happening behind your back, you don't want to know? Also, do you know that first man/men will come to meet the maid, then they may force your maids to do something else like steal the employers valuables in the name of "LOVE"? You never know in some situations it can also end up as a murder case. Have you forgotten about the water maid who was killed by her lover? Those nice earthings/activists, have you ever thought about all these consequences? If this is your maid, can you tolerate such a person and give her the rights to find 'Love'? If you're a maid, you felt you CAN hurt or betray your employer's trust? You don't feel you are doing the wrong thing?

Man in 6-week old maid’s room, The New Paper, 11 Sep 2013 When she woke up at midnight on Monday night, the family dog was licking her legs. She got up and saw it running to the maid's room, sniffing and pawing at the door. Sensing something was amiss, she opened the door and saw a man underneath the maid's bed. The maid wasn't in the room.

"When I saw him, I was scared to death," said the 78-year-old woman, who wanted to be known only as Madam Rose, in Mandarin. She then called her son-in-law for help.

Other than the maid, the only other person in the house was her 86-year-old husband, who is bedridden after two strokes.

It turned out that the man was a foreigner, allegedly brought home by the family's Myanmar maid. The maid, who had been working for the family for six weeks, denied knowing the man, who is believed to be working near their Bukit Timah house.

Madam Rose's son-in-law, who does not live with them, told The New Paper on Tuesday that he and his wife rushed to the scene. The 46-year-old declined to be named as he does not want to risk more unknown persons coming to the house.

He recounted: "I quickly opened the door of the maid's room, shined a torchlight in and found him there." He then left the room and sought to keep the man in there. Using his body weight, he pushed against the door and called the police. On the other end, he felt the man pushing back and trying to force his way out of the room. "I also heard him talking to someone in the room, I think, over his mobile phone. He may have been calling his friends for advice," the son-in-law said, describing the unknown man as about 1.75m tall.

"I just caught him lying under the bed, I didn't know if he was armed. I wondered, 'Is he here to visit the maid or is he here to rob?'" In the meantime, his wife, who is a doctor, had to stabilise his father-in-law as he seemed about to go into shock. The son-in-law added that he was unsure how long it took before police arrived, as his main concern was to keep the struggling man in the room.

When the police arrived, they asked him to come out of the room, said Madam Rose. "He knelt on my living room floor, crying and saying he was sorry," she said. After being questioned, the man was released. It is understood that no offence was committed.

Madam Rose's son-in-law said the family had previously smelt cigarette smoke in the house, which they found suspicious, but the maid denied having any relationship with men.

Yet about two weeks ago, a man who sounded like he was from Myanmar repeatedly called the house and Madam Rose's mobile phone, he said. The son-in-law recounted: "We confronted her about it and she begged us to let her stay, but this incident crossed the line." He added he informed the maid agency yesterday morning and the maid is now with the agency.

He declined to name the agency as he did not want to hamper any resolution of the situation In the 20 years the family has employed maids, this was the first time such an incident has occurred, he said. He added that the family would have to get another maid to look after his father-in-law who suffered his second stroke in December last year. They are depending on home nursing for the time being.

"We're trying to keep this low key and let it pass. Now, we just need to secure the house as much as possible."

4 Sep - These are obtained from a motherhood thread talking about Myanmar maids. It may be about a particular nationality but do note that such problems and maids' attitude are getting more common. The starter of all these human rights or attitude problem, I will direct them to the filipino FDWs. They are better in English and hold themselves very high. They deliberately set bad examples and support bad habits such as lying. Filipino FDWs are often seen on Facebook bad mouthing employers or crying wolves. Maids claimed they are forced to behave and perform badly, it is the way they play back on employers who failed to make them happy. In their theory, Employers have the obligations to please them, treat them like princesses or Queens in the house. This is how they define as being happy working for you. To be treated like human beings, it is to be able to do things they please, no invading of their privacy, etc. They do not care what they are doing is unfair to their employers. They are not interested to know all these are not part of their contact. They cracked their brains to give their employers unnecessary stress and headaches, yet felt they are just slaves. Where on earth can you find a slave who can post on Facebook, chat on mobile, complain on the simplest matter, entitled to off days, paid a monthly salary, given live-in benefits, etc? Where can you find a slave who is entitled to home leave which includes returned air ticket and 15 days paid off?

Filipino FDWs want to manage their employers, feel superior or on par so have numerous ways to make their employers give in to all their nonsense. Filipino FDWs felt what they are advocating is correct, make full use the excuse "human rights" = alright to set bad examples and driving their employers to the walls eg make employers waste money and time to train them. Cunning FDWs influenced naive FDWs to think it is no big deal, perfectly correct to demand something not as per agreement, agency contract or MOM's rules and regulations. Filipino FDWs took the lead to fight for this and that. Myanmese are just learning from them. Filipino FDWs spend time finding loopholes and how to get lesser chores, yet higher salary and benefits. Readers don't need to rebuke, read all my posts, pictures, links and you have to admit I am not stating something baseless. Open you heart to accept the fact FDWs of any nationality is capable of give employers hell. If MOM continues to side FDWs, source countries and their agencies, our lives will just get worst. It will push citizens who do not have other help to resign and stay home to nurture their children. Otherwise, don't give birth, don't find trouble for themselves. Spore (those holding power and pro-maid activists) is uncaring and not giving enough understanding to its full-time working women.

It has set up training centres to equip them with the skills needed before being sent overseas. A total of 50 women have attended training and have been deployed to Singapore.

The Association of Employment Agencies Singapore (AEAS) will assist in developing a structured recruitment process and improve the training programme. Win Kyin came to Singapore to work as a domestic worker more than five years ago. The 32-year-old did not get any training before working in Singapore and speaks little English. She said: "At first when I came to Singapore, I was very scared because my English was very poor. Now, I learn from my employer, slowly my English (has become) better."

Myanmar does not allow its women to work overseas as maids, but the regulation is not strictly enforced. However, Singapore's Manpower Ministry recognises Myanmar as a source country for domestic workers. Recently, the AEAS met with Myanmar's Labour Minister to seek clarification on the matter.

K Jayaprema, president of AEAS, said: "As a follow-up with the conversation we had with the minister, he's actually very pleased with Singapore and he feels that he would want to send domestic workers only to Singapore exclusively at this juncture because he thinks Singapore is a very safe country, we have very good policies in place to protect the domestic workers who come here."

The Myanmar government has set conditions for its women citizens to work in Singapore as foreign domestic workers. She must be recruited by a licensed agent in Myanmar and attend training at an approved centre. Only one training centre is approved, while another two are applying to get approval from the Myanmar Labour Ministry. In addition, six months ago, the government set up an association of employment agencies for better coordination.

There are a total of 166 employment agencies in Myanmar. AEAS will play an active role in facilitating the recruitment and training of these women. This includes harmonising standards on recruitment practices between Singapore employment agencies and their counterparts from Myanmar.

In the area of training, the association will recommend more effective teaching of the English language. In addition, it will ensure the welfare of the women is protected when they arrive in Singapore. The association also wants to provide easy access should the women need support or assistance.

Migrant worker groups welcome the move by Myanmar to legalise women as foreign domestic workers. Bridget Tan, president of Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics, said: "I believe there are thousands of Myanmar women working here as domestic workers, and if the sending country doesn't have a law that allows them to work here, then there will be no laws to protect them as well. So, what's going to happen to them when they have a problem out here in other countries, including Singapore?"

More Myanmar maids are running away from their employers. Migrant worker groups like the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics have seen a two-fold increase this year of women from Myanmar seeking assistance from them. However, with a more structured recruitment and training programme in place in Myanmar, it is hoped that this problem can be mitigated.

Ms Jayaprema said: "The common complaints are the domestic workers are not aware of the kind of duties they are supposed to do here. Many of them are having communication problems. “The other main issue they are always concerned about is the high placement fee that they are paying. Some of these workers are paying between 7-8 months. This concern was raised by the embassy here when we had a meeting a month ago with the ambassador. So, when that happens we see domestic workers from Myanmar going without salary for about a year.

“If this problem is addressed we are quite confident that the transfer rate of Myanmar domestic workers will drop, and we will see fewer of them running away, seeking assistance, because they will be much more satisfied working in Singapore."

There are about 27,000 foreign domestic workers from Myanmar in Singapore.

With the changes in regulations, more maids from Myanmar are expected to work in Singapore. It is understood the Myanmar Embassy in Singapore is expected to appoint a Labour Attache soon, to provide support and welfare to the increasing numbers of their foreign domestic workers.

Unable to please their employers, more Myanmar maids are giving up and running away, so much so that some agents are trying to improve matters themselves by conducting home visits and training.A total of 51 maids have sought shelter so far this year at a migrant worker’s group, which expects this to continue if employment conditions do not improve.

The Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) sheltered 64 runaway maids from Myanmar last year, 29 in 2011 and 13 in 2010.The figures reflect the increase in the number of Myanmar women who now come here to work as maids. There are more than 27,000, and more are expected as a shortfall in Indonesian maids persists.

They are paid $400 to $420 a month, compared with $450 for Indonesians and $500 for Filipinas. Said Ms Tan:

“This should be a wake-up call to both the agents and employers.

They must look at treating the workers fairly and also reducing their debt, or more will run away.”

Agents here say recruiters in Myanmar are asking for more money, knowing the maids are needed to plug the shortfall.But with Myanmar the most viable new source of domestic help, some agents are taking it upon themselves to help smooth the transition.One makes regular visits at no extra charge to homes where there are problems and offers special training courses for maids in languages and housework.

Mr J.H. Htay, the director of Striker Employment Agency, said the key stumbling blocks are a poor command of English, cultural differences and the relatively stressful workload here.Mr Htay, a Malaysian and Singapore permanent resident, goes to the homes of employers who have problems with their maids. With a Myanmar employee who speaks the language, he tries to deal with the source of the employer’s unhappiness.

The sessions are often emotionally charged and last one to four hours.Most women in Myanmar do not work outside their homes and may not be used to having a boss to answer to, he said.The “culture shock” affects them intensely.“Sometimes, they don’t even want to talk. They are completely demoralised,” he said.“I put myself in their shoes and think, wouldn’t I feel the same way if I’m in a foreign country and my employer keeps scolding me all the time?”

The maids also attend a training course and Mr Htay may follow up with another visit afterwards to see if things have improved.This helped banker Abhishek Gupta, 34, who was at wits’ end when his new maid could not understand a word he or his wife said. After a four-day intensive course at Striker, Ms Khaing, 31, could understand simple words and do household chores to her employer’s satisfaction.

The Guptas chose a Myanmar maid because their friend employs one and is happy with her.Mr Gupta said:

“My maid still can’t form full sentences.But she speaks and understands simple words. It is an improvement from speaking to her and getting a blank stare back.”

Employers said it was important to be patient and not expect too much at the start.Myanmar maids now make up the third biggest group among Singapore’s 209,600 domestic workers, after Indonesians and Filipinos. Unlike those others, the bulk of Myanmar maids come to Singapore without any training, and against the law, as their government forbids them from going overseas to be maids or entertainers.

Many are underage and untrained and find it hard to cope with life here.Another agent, Ms Anna Tan, the owner of AT Employment Agency, has those facing problems live at her home for about a week to learn how to live and work in a Singapore household. Ms Tan said the maids learn to adjust to the eating habits of Singaporeans and work to a schedule. She also coaches them in English.Agents say the extra help does not guarantee a smooth ride but the success rate is promising.

Seven of the 10 Myanmar maids trained and counselled by Ms Tan this year are still with their employers.

I chose a fresh maid from My Maid Station (never worked in SG before) from them in September as they assured me that all the maids in their Myanmar training centres can speak basic English and do housework. I accepted Louis's recommendation. When I picked up the maid, immediately I told Louis that I don't think it will work as the maid just stood and stared blankly when I spoke to her. Louis insisted that she is trained and I need to give her time to adapt.

The 5 weeks I had her were terrible. She not only is unable speak English, she also cannot cook or do any housework. Even after drawing out the schedule - yes I have to draw as she does not even know what is a mop, to clean, to cook etc... I have attempted to communicate through gestures ... still she got me wrong. For example, instead of feeding my child, she ate her food. .. After two weeks, I kept calling Louis for new biodata. he is full of excuses and each time after selecting a biodata, he said they are taken. Finally in early November, I chose a new maid from their biodata and returned the maid as I cannot stand having to 'mother' her. I am now served by Gerladine (in Hougang branch). I thought she will be better. I WAS WRONG. She claimed that the maid will come in early Dec . I called her on the 4th Dec, she said my application has not been approved and she promised to update me. I called again many times. Each time she said the my application is pending. On 17th I realised that she had never checked my application status as she said she will return my call after checking with the admin department.

I hit the roof when she told me that application was not approved as the maid is not longer available and that I have been waiting in vain. There was nothing wrong with my application; rather the maid has decided to go to other agents. She told me to come to the agency instead to interview two transfer maids whom she think are suitable for my needs. She was totally unprofessional as upon reaching there, not only we found that these transfer maids not there (but in other branches) and they are highly UNSUIITABLE and do not understand us at all when we spoke to them on the phone. She did not show any professionalism and was always laughing away. Yesterday Geraldine called me and told me that she emailed a new biodata of a transfer maid from the Bukit Timah branch and was told to consider quickly as there are few of such kinds... I called immediately I found out that this maid is NOT even returned by the employer yet. I have given up on them.This agency lack professionalism and be weary of their 'promises'

I would like to share my bad experience with "My maid station" in regards to their irresponsible maid and their service attitude.

We got a maid from them with the payment of the agent fees $388 and loan amount of $1700 on dated 13.09.11. During the interview time we have specific asked for a maid who can take care of our 3 children and Chris the staff, was the one who recommended one of their maid to us by the name of Htet Htet Win.

With the trust from the agency I and my wife happily took her. After working with us for a few days, we noticed that she keep using her handphone whenever to her likes and demand. I have no choice and after discussed with my wife, we both end up decided to bring her back to agency and ask them to help to talk to her. We even asked her politely if she is willing to continue to work with us as we do not want waste her time and to hold back a person who is not keen to work at all. She still persisted that she wanted to work for us, as such we agreed and bring her back again.

On 09.10.11 when my wife was out to pick my younger son back from school, she was shocked that our maid had left the house leaving my 18 months old baby sleeping in the room. She immediately contacted the agency and seek help and later in the evening she went to police station to lodge a police report. She was totally lost and mentally stress with such incident happened, who is going to hold the responsible if something happen to my baby.

The next day 10.10.11 we receive no call from the agency at all and we end up need to call them and check the status, Chris the one who we get to know she was a manager in charge keep saying that they are trying to reach and get in touch to my run away maid. We have no choice and need to trust their capability we waited for whole day end up no answer from them.

On 11.10.11, I have no choice but to take urgent leave and went down to the agency to check personally. I was there but couldn't get a reply from them and at choice i demand a full refund. Chris the manager with no interest to settle the issue but only giving a statement that, "There is no such thing, you mean you can choose a maid and after that you don't want her and ask for refund ".

I have no choice again and i have to call MOM and seek for help, the MOM officers gave me the AEAS contact no. to call in regards of any monetary issue to assist us. When i returned to the agency office after spoken to AEAS officers, to my surprised Chris claimed that the missing maid was found and they are at MOM with her Boss. At this stage, to be honest i have totally lost my trust on them. Immediately Chris took out a form and advised my wife to sign on it, when we asked further, she claimed that the form was for cancellation of work permit

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6 Jun - Winter: Do you want to be kind by giving your maid a termination notice?Below is a case of a Myanmar maid. This kind of behaviour can happen to any nationality. They are just maids, humans, NOT angels!Some FDWs just felt that they have the rights to vent their anger but still can get a transfer to another employer because no police report was made. This MOM loophole is to their advantage, it would be silly not to use it. Employer cannot do anything to make her pay for her actions. Sending her back home means no need to bother about maid loan and a free air ticket paid by employer .... good deal ... another loophole! MOM hasn't done anything to prove this is wrong.Maid vent anger by pouring bleach

She was in the shower when she felt her head burning and the pungent smell of chlorine filling her nose. It turned out someone had poured bleach into her shampoo and conditioner.

The culprit, she later found out, was her former maid, whom she had decided to send back to the agency the day before. The maid, a 26-year-old Myanmar national, had been with the family for four months.

Her employer, a 45-year-old businesswoman who wanted to be known only as Mrs Tan,was unhappy with the maid's performance. What she did not expect was that the maid would get back at the family by putting bleach into all the bottles of shampoo and conditioner in the three bathrooms of the family's penthouse unit in a Woodlands condominium.

Mrs Tan lives with her husband, and her two daughters, aged 21 and 18. Her older daughter's boyfriend, Mr Neo, 21, a civil servant, lives with them.

The maid even allegedly poured bleach into Mrs Tan's youngest daughter's contact lens solution. Luckily, the alert teenager discovered it before she put the lens into her eyes. She sensed something amiss when she smelled the solution. Mrs Tan said: "What if my daughter had put on the contact lens? She could have gone blind.

"If you look at the maid, you will never think she is capable of this." When she confronted the maid at the agency the next day, she said the latter admitted what she had done. But the maid claimed "she did not know the solution was for the eyes".

There has been a recent spate of incidents where maids tried to harm their employers.

While maid agents say it is not common, they have come across cases of maids getting back at their employers over perceived injustices.Mr Peter Loh, owner of Swift Arrow maid agency, said he has heard of maids venting their frustration by pinching their employers' children when no one else is home. He has even heard of maids talking about adding urine into the employer's drinks.

"It is a superstitious belief that by doing so the employer will like them. When they talk about this, we will educate them that there's no such thing," he said.

Some 28 per cent of maids had their contracts terminated within three months of starting work, The Straits Times reported last month. Some maid agents said that maids are under more pressure these days as employers have higher expectations.

Mr Ronnie Toh, owner of maid agency AC Toh Enterprises, said one reason maids do such things is to empower themselves."A maid feels she can't fight back, so she gets back at her employer in other subtle ways," he said. Mr Toh, who has been in the business for 30 years, said that while some maids are no angels, some employers can also be too demanding.

He also blamed some agents for exaggerating the abilities of the maids. "So when the maids cannot perform, the employers are unhappy," he said. Mrs Tan said during the meeting at the agency, the reasons given by her maid for her behaviour were that she was scolded often and had to wake up at 2am to wash dishes.

Mrs Tan claimed this was not true and that the family had treated the maid well. When she was scolded, it was for valid reasons.She said the maid once served her husband, a 48-year-old businessman, fish porridge with uncooked fish.

Another time, he ended up eating rice with a 10-cent coin in it.Once, when Mrs Tan told the maid to clean the kitchen, she splashed pails of water on the walls. This soaked a power socket, causing a blackout.

And her younger daughter once saw the maid kicking the family dog.The final straw for Mrs Tan was when the maid allowed two curry puffs to burn in the oven early last month. "The kitchen was filled with smoke. She was there washing dishes and didn't do anything. So I was angry and scolded her," she said.

The next day, she told the maid that she would be sending her back to the agency. Two weeks later, on 21 May 2010, she sent the maid back to her maid agent. The next day, the family discovered that the maid had broken the washing machine by cutting one of the wires.Mrs Tan also found that some of the family's clothes had become discoloured after they were left in a tub of bleach. And one of their curtains had holes.

Mr Neo had to search for his belt and work pass which were found hidden under a pile of mats. The maid also stuffed soiled newspapers into the drains in the washrooms and balcony.

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12 May - First male helper from Myanmar starts workSource, Straits Times

The first male domestic worker from Myanmar has arrived and started work with his new employer on Friday.

Brought to Singapore by local maid agency Homekeeper, 31-year-old Lum Hkawng has already completed a 45-day caregiver course. He also speaks Mandarin, which he picked up from ethnic Chinese friends living in his village in Myanmar's northern Kachin state. Agents say male domestic workers like Mr Hkawng can perform similar tasks as their female counterparts and more. These include caring for elderly men who are bedridden, which often requires more strenuous work.

While agents say there has been an increase in demand for male domestic workers, plans to bring in more men like Mr Hkawng have hit a snag. So far only 33 male helpers, mostly Filipinos, are in Singapore.

It is estimated that there are 27,000 Myanmar women working in Singapore as maids, a 35% increase in the number of Myanmar maids at the beginning of last year. The number of illegal freelance recruiters has also gone up hand-in-hand. A local maid agency estimated that about 30% of the new Myanmar maids coming to Singapore each month are recruited by these illegal freelancers.

Some of the local agents admit that they are currently working with these illegal Myanmar freelancers because they want to increase their supply of Myanmar maids. The freelancers usually get referrals from their fellow Myanmar friends and relatives. One illegal Myanmar freelancer who works as an engineer in Singapore said, “We have friends and relatives who ask us to help them get a job here as a maid. So I thought why not. I can earn some extra money too.”

These illegal freelancers can earn about $2,000 for each maid they recruit. This is equal to about 4 months of a Myanmar maid’s salary. But they may end up earning a few hundred dollars if they have to split the commission with other middlemen.

A rising number of Myanmar maids are running away from their Singapore employers, saying they find it unbearable to work for months without receiving any pay.The reason is that they arrive with large debts to repay, and until those are cleared some receive no money at all. Others get just $10 or $20 a month.

Maid agents estimate that there are close to 27,000 Myanmar women working here as domestic workers, up from about 20,000 at the start of last year.

Although Myanmar bars its women from going overseas to be maids or entertainers, more have been arriving to make up for the shrinking number of new Indonesian maids.Since January this year, 32 Myanmar runaways have sought shelter at foreign workers group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home).

This number is half of the 64 who turned up over the whole of last year. Home sheltered 29 runaway Myanmar maids in 2011 and 13 in 2010.

Agents say the women get demoralised when they go unpaid for up to eight months while repaying placement fees of $3,200 to $3,360.The going rate for Myanmar maids is between $400 and $420 a month, lower than what Indonesians and Filipinas command.Many also arrive underage and untrained, do not speak English and find it hard to cope with working here, agents said.

The president of the Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore), Ms K. Jayaprema, said the placement fees for Myanmar maids has spiked from the equivalent of five months' pay to eight months' pay over the past year.

She blamed agents in Myanmar for jacking up their fees, knowing that their counterparts here were desperate to make up a shortfall in supply after months of wrangling with Indonesian recruiters over fees for their maids.

She said the extra costs are passed on to the women, not employers, because agents here are anxious to keep the cost of hiring a Myanmar maid low.Many agents charge employers $300 or less for Myanmar maids.

Ms Jayaprema felt the Myanmar government needs to stop agents there from jacking up their fees.

Meanwhile, some agents here have begun putting a limit on the placement fees that Myanmar maids have to repay. Some have capped it at the equivalent of four months' pay, and raised the fees employers must pay to close to $1,000.

Agent Carene Chin said: "I tell customers if their maid's loans are lower, we can motivate them to work harder and be happier."

A Manpower Ministry spokesman said fees that are paid overseas and the regulation of employment agencies in foreign countries are beyond Singapore's jurisdiction.

"However, the ministry works closely with the respective foreign embassies and shares relevant information obtained during the course of its investigations," she said.

She added that Singapore laws bar agencies here from charging foreign workers fees that exceed one month of pay for each year of the duration of their work pass. The total amount charged must not exceed two months' salary.

Employment agents who flout these guidelines can be fined up to $5,000, jailed for up to six months, or both. They will also be issued demerit points.

Agents must also ensure that all maids brought here are at least 23 years old.Last year, seven agencies were warned and four of them were issued demerit points for bringing in underage maids.

Home chief executive Bridget Tan felt there should be a more coordinated effort by the Singapore and Myanmar authorities to improve the employment terms of Myanmar maids.

"Myanmar women are eager to leave their country to earn a living and will agree to any terms given to them," she said. "The Singapore and Myanmar governments need to step up checks to prevent them from being abused."

Winter: The demand has exploded, not just in Singapore but elsewhere in the region too, including in Malaysia and Hong Kong. Because of this, many more women are being recruited from places such as Indonesia, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The recruitment is taking place not just in the cities where women tend to be better educated and used to urban living but also from rural areas with less suitable women or underaged girls.MOM should stop FDW demand from staying rocket high. If FDW demand is kept low, would agents be able to jerk up prices on maid loan and agent fees? If demand remains high, agencies will continue to rope in anybody who steps into their agencies, don't do proper job screening or training and sell them out as FDW asap in order to reap a profit.

If MOM has set stricter criteria such PRs, expats and those citizens with combined household income exceeding $10,000 should not be allowed to hire FDWs, encourage or force them pay for hourly rated domestic maids.

If more affordable eldercare, childcare, daycare or special needs care centres (to take in all ages and disabilities, eg my girl) are set up, why do we need to rely on FDWs?

Why allow employers who can afford to hire 2 or more maids in the same household, enjoy similar levy and employ live-in maids .... who looked dirt cheap in their eyes?

It is not human trafficking nor slavery because maids have contracts, receiving salary, were told the terms of their employment, packed their own luggages, boarded the planes on their own will and can leave employment to find better employers in Sg. FDWs get full month salary in cash after full repayment of 7-8 months maid loan (imposed by their agencies, claiming it is part of training costs, air fare, etc).Agencies are not treating FDWs like humans because they told lies to them by painting nice pictures to work in Spore.Not our fault, why make employers bear the actions of agencies? Were maids exploited? No, not by employers. We paid what is required by MOM and foot the live-in costs as well as salary, which easy amounted to S$1500 per month.

Some people have weird theory, thinking FDWs are dirt cheap so employers can't complain. If we insist on complaining or telling the truth about what our maids did, we shouldn't because that's the quality we should get since we paid them peanuts! FDWs contributed the minimal but wishing to get everything, this is not right but MOM and activists encouraged them to do so.

Some abnormal righteous people enjoy telling employer this is a one-sided story, unfair to maid, not right for us to post online. They are eager to shoot employers and don't try to understand what we've been through. Phew, this is my blog, I can delete comments from pretenders who thought so great about themselves, belittle FDW's employers and prevent me from telling the truth (with pictures and proof still feel FDWs are more pathetic than employers .... sigh)!

A couple have lodged a police report over the alleged mistreatment of their two-year-old daughter.

girl's father, Mr Tan Qing Yuan, 37, told The Straits Times that the incidents were captured on the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera he had fitted in the home.

The first incident was captured two days after the maid from Myanmar was hired, said Mr Tan.He claimed footage showed the maid, Ms Siang Nei Thluai, 24, slamming the fridge door and hurting the toddler, according to the Shin Min Daily News.

Mr Tan, a driver, also said she mistreated the girl two to three times an hour on a separate occasion.He said Ms Siang was hired to look after the couple's two younger girls - the toddler and a nine-month-old infant, as he and his wife, a human resource executive, work during the day.Their eldest child, 4, attends kindergarten in the daytime.

In the clips Mr Tan showed The Straits Times, Ms Siang was seen closing the fridge door with one hand while carrying an infant in another arm. The fridge door moves a few times before a toddler emerges from behind it and follows her.Another clip shows the toddler, who was lying down in a playpen, being forcefully pulled up by the shoulder.

But according to Mr Tan, the police have said there is insufficient evidence and asked him to look for more evidence.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =KUANTAN, Malaysia - As a maid, 40-year-old Nanis Supardi was tasked with taking care of her employer's handicapped son, who is also bed-ridden. Instead of giving full attention to the 11-year-old boy, the Indonesian maid had abused the boy including stepping on his face, neck, chest and stomach.

The mother of four also covered the victim's face with a piece of cloth before forcing the helpless boy to drink. Nanis' cruel acts were recorded on a closed-circuit television camera and she was yesterday sentenced to four years' jail after pleading guilty to abusing the boy at her employer's home in Kampung Batu Hitam between 6pm and 6.30pm on March 13.She was also sentenced to six months' jail after she pleaded guilty to overstaying as her social visit pass had expired on 29 Feb 2012.

The woman, from East Java, was expressionless, when Sessions Court judge Noradidah Ahmad meted out the sentence, which was translated into Javanese by a court interpreter. When Noradida said her act was cruel as the victim could not even move, Nanis, only said that she khilaf (had made a mistake).

Agency: Perf**t Team Maid Agency Pte LtdLocation: They have a few branches including one at Katong Shopping Centre

My wife is looking after two children (a toddler and a baby) and is also expecting another baby ‐ we needed a maid urgently to ease her workload and ensure her pregnancy is not affected.

While looking for a maid, I signed up with the above maid agency "Perf**t Team Maid AgencyPte Ltd" (Katong Shopping Centre branch) for a new Myanmar maid because they verballypromised me that the maid will be available in two weeks.

The staff there, promised that the maid is good in English, has college education and is able to do the scope of work specified, and is available within 2 weeks. We emphasised to her that my wife has so much on hand and is expecting a child that she will not be able to cope if the maid turns out otherwise.

Unfortunately, it turned out that:1) the maid was only available after nearly three weeks and after much prompting from me to the Agency almost on a daily basis; on many occasions, my calls to them was unreturned.

2) The maid spoke or understood virtually no English and could not prove she has collegeeducation (despite the claim by the agency); she was unable to tell the difference between Yes and No in English, not to mention be able to take any instructions on simple tasks.

3) As a result, we need to supervise her all the time, while she would make mistakes rightbefore your eyes even while you are telling her the correct way. She was also so slow that she appears like she has never done any housework or received any training at all.

4) She appears to be under the age she claims to be.

I approached the agency for help and they were not helpful. As a result, I returned the maid on the second day (18 May) because she was becoming a severe liability and needed moreattention and supervision than the two toddlers that we have. We could not afford this time tolook into every second of her work while risking the care of our two children.

I told the agency that they have severely misrepresented all relevant information regarding the maid (ie English Proficiency, College Education, Ability to Work) and failed in their obligation to provide the most basic training, in breach of their agreed services and verbal and non‐verbal contractual obligations and promises, and requested a refund. They totally refused and is still holding to all of the agency fee, insurance and maid loans I paid totaling nearly S$4000 (I have paid a total of S$709 for service fees and S$3075 as maid loan to the agency).

They refused to entertain me any further and blocked my access to their management by saying that the management does not want to talk to me.

I checked the MOM website and found that this very agency already has 6 demerit points andhas a bad track record for retention.

And I found out too late from the internet that this very agency has cheated many peoplerecently by giving them useless maids and when the maid is returned, they did not refund thehuge amounts of money they hold unlawfully:

As the agency has dared me to lodge a police report, I have lodged a police report on this case against them (Report Number: G201207112073) However, noting that this is a consumer related case, the Police have advised me to definitely inform CASE to take up the matter to stop the cheating practices.

Agencies benefit hugely financially because any transfer would mean they make between 1‐2months extra from the maid, and a whole lot of agency and other fees from the next employer!

When agencies are allowed to mispractice by misrepresenting biodata and encouraging returns and transfer to make double, the good agencies are soon out of business due to lesser income, while the bad ones will proliferate. This is a vicious cycle that needs to be addressed, or your industry will soon be full of rogue agencies causing issues to the community.

Similar poor experience with "Universal Employment Agency". Would strongly receommend staying away from this agency. Once you have the maid, they will take absolutely no responsibility, and give you no assistance. They wash their hands completely, and you can expect zero compensation.

Better not to have a domestic helper. Learn to do your own work efficiently and quickly, then you do not have these problems. And how about the govermneent providing more services instead of having us rely on FDW

The latest cheap labour source is now Myanmar... working as maids, construction and F&B workers or healthcare workers.

When domestic maids were allowed in Singapore, Thai maids were popular, followed closely by Filipino maids that speak English. Then Thai maids began to return home and we tried Indian maids, not very successful in a predominant Chinese Society in Singapore.And we turned to Indonesia.

And today, Myanmar maids are the "favour of the month".

Are Singapore sowing the seeds of future xenophobia against Myanmar when they hit a critical mass of 300,000 like Chinese, Indian and Filipino foreign workers?

Why can't we stop importing domestic maids into Singapore where it is a real social issues by breeding generation and generation of "latchkey kids" without parental guidance and nurturing with Singaporeans parents wholly passing the buck in child-rearing to domestic maids?

When will PAP Government stop this social disease of child rearing by domestic maids and start a procedure of Singaporean parents to start taking back ownership of children rearing?

If Western countries can do without foreign maids, why can't Singapore?

Winter copied this from forum:By 2011mummyi took my 1st maid from My Maid Station in april, her name is MOE MOE. if anyone happen to be her new employer here, pls take note of this MOE MOE.

she is pickly about food. only like curry chicken. initially we thought she need time to adjust to sg food but we was wrong, she was really pickly abt food. she is suppose to take care my 1 years plus boy, wash my son clothes only. no housework involved. after she came like 3 mths which is in july, i notice she start to dozed off in the afternoon (she doesnt wake up in the nite to take care my son) ask her why and no happy and say she want leave our place. she want go bk agent. then in Aug, i was for delivery fr my 2nd boy. i put her and my son in my mum's pl for a few days cos no one is at home to monitor her. She was really dirty, she did not change her panty and bra for a few days (cos my mum help her hang her clothes outside, afraid she fall out of window), my mum ask her, she still smile back at her. then a week later, she like suddenly cry so badly when i just started my confinement, my mum called me to bring her bk. she want go back agent, for no reason. stupid i cant even rest well during my confinement. Ok to add on my 2ND Maid from this agency arrived end July, just a week before my delivery. this MOE MOE came bk our place and continue to say she want go agent but i was in my confinement and i manage to persuade her to stay.. just a few days down, i actually discovered she got a mobile ph, note: she came like 3mths plus,collected 3 X $20 salary.. and she got herself a samsung touchscreen mobile. and she still lie that it neighbour maid phone. i confiscated the phone and ask her tell the neighbor maid to collect her phone back from me. in less than 10 mins she came crying and confess is her hp and kneel down in front of me to return her phone. i got a shock of my life when she kneel down and i quickly walk away. she confess it her bf who bought her hp. her attitude sucks, on and off she keep saying want go agency. i did not return her hp cos our agreement out front was no hp but i will allow her to call home. she has got no friends in sg. we screen thru her hp, she was always talking at night that explain why she keep dozing off in the afternoon. she even steal our memory card cos i saw our pixs in her hp. this thing keep dragging on til sept, we decide to send her bk to agent. i wonder what kind of think did e agent teaches this maid. they can just say no happy send them bk agent. she even know the proceedures to change employers etc.

she still call bk to our place to influence our maid to change employer.. her bf send another hp down to e agent place to her thou i pass e one i confiscated to the agent.

now e 2nd maid came end july, is asking to return to the maid station too. same as MOE MOE.

she know e procedures. i brought her bk for counciling and e agent say i misunderstand e maid, she was saying after her loan is fulfilled we can send her bk if we unhappy with her. BULLSHIT.. MAID LIES. just after 1 week later she is requesting to leave.. and she want leave immediately. this is the kind of standards THE MAIDS STATIONS provide. the Guy LXXXX is still asking us to change other nationality with them.

intially we was still considering to change another maid with them till last week i decided to ask for my refund bk for this MOE MOE, she was offically transfered in SEPT. 1 week passed, i just called this guy, refund not ready and should be ready by end of this mth. i hope he mean it cos im gg to return e 2nd maid soon.

Winter copied this from forum:By pingspedMy maid station in bukit timah shopping centre. I paid air ticket & paid agency to repatriate maid.She didn't board the plane; just went Malaysia for holiday. She returned to SG in 2 weeks & got employed again. I had to file a police report to save other SG employers.

I took 3 transfer maids; we filed police reports on last 2 maids. First one stole money but I didn't lodge police report.

Last year in September I engaged a Myanmar maid from MY MAIDS STATION at Bukit Timah Shopping Centre. I am not afraid to post their name out as they have very unsculpulous means of running their business. I brought the maid home, her name is Hla Yin, beware of her. I really pity the employer who has gotten her but somehow it’s of good riddance to me. This girl’s loan amount then was $2500, a salary amount of $350 every month. Agency charged agency fee and test fee which is standard for most agencies.

When she came, we didn’t take note of anything strange about this girl. Until after a month, my mum in law caught her red-handed drinking barley that she had boiled directly from a 5L bottle at an angle high up. My mum-in-law stopped her and querried her, the girl claimed that she was looking for ants and denied drinking! What a liar! I came home after work and interrogated the girl and she continued to deny and even swear that she didn’t drink. I even told her if she had done it, apologise and don’t do it again. She kept denying, my mum-in-law was furious when she is the one who caught her red-handed. After a while, the girl suddenly knelt down and said Sorry Sir, Sorry Mam. She can lie through her teeth. From then, we watched her every move and only to find out that she’s horrible. She didn’t even wash my baby bottles and sterilized them. I noticed the milk fat stains and orange carrot juice lined in the bottles and teats. She even cause 2 of my parquet skirting to drop out, my bomb shelter door to be spoilt, now can’t even close. Even my window 2 panel grill could even be pluck out. There was one incident whereby she didn’t close my hot thermal bottle and all the water spilled in my diaper bag and scalded me husband’s lap as he placed it on his lap, it was so lucky that he didn’t have the baby with him. She wasn’t at all apologetic.

By pingspedHer personal hygiene was also horrible. Can you imagine, she could do housework for the entire day and not bathe at all, didn’t change her clothes, go to sleep and the next day carried on doing her housework. It’s normal for maids to eat from hands, I don’t mind that but at least be neat and clean. When she eats, she will use that same hand to scratch her head, continue to eat and takes up her t-shirt and wipes her mouth and scratch her hair, didn’t wash hand, then collects the laundry. When she cuts raw meat, after cutting, she rubs her hands on her pants and does other things. These are actions that I’ve caught her several times and reminded her not to do but it didn’t change. My friends even wondered how I could tolerate such a person. When she washes clothes by hand, she just dips in the water, take out and squeeze and that’s called washed. We didn’t take note until after the barley incident. Thinking that she doesn’t know how to wash clothes by hand, my mum-in-law taught her for many days. This girl washed according to how she was taught only for a week and when she sees my mum-in-law(MIL) watching her, she scrubs the clothes and when MIL is not looking she dips and squeeze. It just shows that this maid is lazy. One Saturday, we went out at 10am, I told her since we are going out, she had better ironed all the 16pcs of clothes that she had chalked up for ironing. Since we were not around, I believe doing housework should be easier as she doesn’t need to prepare food nor cook. I came back at 11pm, I got a shock of my life. I saw the mopping pail and a mop on the floor and when I asked her what had she not done, she hasn’t washed the kitchen, not even the toilets. Needless to say the 16pcs of clothes was not touched at all. Even my laundry basket was doubled in height and all those are for machine wash. I asked her what she had been doing, she said that she was very busy cleaning that day. What a joke!

Anyway, all those are secondary, I returned her after 2 months and got a replacement. I had to top up her loan to $3120. Now, I’m very particular about my maids as I have 3 dogs and I always reminded the agency that I need a maid who can take care and likes dogs. Agency reassured me that their maids are willing to take care of dogs. Ok, the replacement Myanmar maid came here to be a princess and not a maid. She wore hairbands with big flowers on it. I mean I am fine with that. Agency also lied that she didn’t have any siblings here and in the end, when she arrived, she has a sister here, apparently worked here in Singapore for quite some time and is with the same agency. The day she came to my house, the next day she requested to call her mother in Myanmar. This girl is a Mummy’s girl. When I taught her how to cook, I even cooked her share, she can say, “ Mam, I don’t want to eat this.” And she shake her head. The worst part was she didn’t even know how to cook at all not to say her own Myanmar food. Even when my MIL want to cook, she will ask the maid, “ Do you want to eat this?” I was so pissed off as I felt that we were keeping a princess and not a maid. I noticed that she didn’t like dogs at all and even kicked them. Apparently, this princess wasn’t used to picking up the dog poo too when I have initially exaggerated to the agency that my dogs poo every 15mins and girl said its ok. So I decided to tell the girl that I cant possibly cook her Myanmar food and specially cook something that she liked to eat. I told her that I will only cook for my family and if there’s leftover, she can choose to eat or she can take anything from the fridge to cook her own meal. Well, my friends said that I was stupid. How can she be allowed such treatment. In the end, the girl cried as she doesn’t even know how to cook so how to cook her own meal? The next day, she ranaway and I noticed that she had been calling her sister in Singapore. This girl only worked for 5 days but was transferred soon after.

By pingspedI went back to agency only to find that the previous maid, Hla Yin reported us for a maid abuse. So my husband and I had to go down to the police station to take down our statements. Most of the allegations were against my husband so he was also called in by MOM.. Apparently, the maid didn’t even have any bodily harm on her body just an allergy of her hands which she didn’t even mention to me. C’mon, if she is a 31 year old lady and if any part of her is not well, she should tell me but she didn’t. I don’t think any employer would go around checking their maid’s body every now and then right! My husband had to undergo a lie detector test and a lot of unnecessary time was wasted. At the end of the day, the case had ended mid April 2011. It was a false allegation from the maid. The maid (Hla Yin) was already transferred in February. When I reported the case to the police as the maid has caused us unnecessary duress and stress this period of time for giving false allegation, the police said that they can’t do anything about it. SO lousy right! When a maid reports, the police investigates. When an employer reports her for false allegation, the police ignores. What kind of world is this! The police even said that if I want, I can get a lawyer to sue the maid, what is this! What do I stand to gain by wasting more money to sue a penniless maid.

Anyway, the main issue now is that the maid refused to return my upfront loan of $3000+, having pro-rated the 5 days from the new maid who ranaway. MY MAIDS STATION apparently claimed that Hla Yin stayed with them during police investigation for 90 days and they want to charge me $20/day for food and lodging which amounts to $1800. They were only willing to return us $1200. I felt that it was absurd. Firstly, in the contract, it states clearly that its $10/day before the maid is being transferred and up to a maximum of 30 days and thereafter, agency will bear. Now, they charged me $20/day and it’s for 90 days. My goodness! I had to get a lawyer to write them a letter asking for my $3k. They refused and only willing to return a maximum of $1800 and even gave me a grace period of 7 days of accepting that $1800. I feel that this agency is out to cheat people and who knows, they might be the devils advocate teaching their maids what to do to gain that big buck. You see, they added loan amount to the maid when she transferred and on the other hand, get money from my side. How shrewd are they! I even suggested instead of 3k, we’ll just accept $2.5k but they refused to return. I wanted to sue them my the amount does not justify the lawyers’ fees, I mean it’s not tens of thousands but 3k is definitely not a small amount either. My friends said that it is quite pointless to go to Case as they are just middleman and probably nothing will be done from there.

Does anyone have any suggestion what I can do or anyone who has experienced such situation to advice me on what I should do? If I go to small claims, will I be able to get back my entire $3k or what’s the max that I can possibly get? Anyone who has any suggestions, you can PM me and I really appreciate your help. I really hope that the government can look into these kind of real life situations instead of gaining votes and not helping their own people.

3rd day - called her Burmese cousin and speak for more than 1 hour from my house when I went out and asked to buy hp; asked for off days.

3rd week - she went out without my permission to call agent to cry and ask for transfer saying that she can not get along with my two kids (7 & 5 yrs old) and my kids beat her.

She also told my daughter that all men are bad and she hates men.

Waited for agent to send biodatas for replacement, very slow.

2nd month - now, the Burmese maid told my daughter that my house got ghost from day one that she was here, every night, kept disturbing her for a few times.

U think she is making up stories or some mental problem and have hallucinations? My house has been blessed by a pastor and got no such problems! She also have the same dream very often, food chasing her, so i told my daughter to tell her next time, chased the food back and eat them up. From that day, onwards, she stopped telling my daughter about this dream.

This maid came from a broken family, father got second wife and abandonned her and mother/brother/sister.

She only bathe once a day and sometimes never bathe at all, washes her hair every few days and never wash her hair for the whole week that she has her menses. My daughter asked her about it, she said her mother said can not wash hair. Well, her mother is not here in my house to monitor that.

Copied from forum, Posted by:tunapuff77i just send my myanmar maid back to agency on her 4th working day. The reason why I chose to get myanmanese is bcos I thought they are honest, hardworking, conservative & humble. But to my surprise, this maid tells lies, sleep during work time, steals and wear low-cut blouses Very disappointed. Wasted money getting her.

Copied from forum, Posted by: clioi hve a myanmar maid for the past 2 months and she has been making my life stressful and miserable.

Her bio data says she has experience looking after babies and young kids in Myanmar. But it's not true she does not even know how to put on my toddler's diapers or bathe my toddlers. When i called the agency to complain, they disavowed responsibility and said 'The maid herself said she could look after kids and we take her word for it'. I was not happy because even if diapering is foreign to the Myanmese, surely as an agency if you say 'the maid has experience' and you r bringing her to work in SG, they agency must train the maid to be at least able to put on diapers for children right?

For the past 2months that she has been with my family, i am not exxagerating tt every time i asked my maid to play with my 1.5 yr old gal, within 15mins my gal will be screaming, crying or have fallen down. In the beginning we scolded the maid for not being vigilant, but lately i just realised tt themaid just doesn't seem to be apologetic that her negligence has caused the child needless accidents. Again when i brought the matter up with the agency boss, she spoke to the maid. The maid herself admitted that she 'blank out' when the baby cries loudly ( If that's the case, it's really tough to look after kids!) The boss of the agency told me that 'for eg. if my baby wants alcohol and the maid refuses to give her, and the baby cries loudly, will i allow themaid to give bb alchohol?" As if i was unreasonable for being angry with the maid. I retorted that all the incidents have been nothing of that sort. I just felt v upset that the agency kept siding with the maid.

In sum, i cannot trust this maid for any moment to look after the kids, either myself, my MIL or Mum have to bethere to supervise CONSTANTLY. As for household chores, she is really slow and she has shown no confidence to learn any cooking watsoever. My mum tried to teach her simple fried rice. The 2nd time she bought exactly the same ingredients, the maid said 'Grandma can you cook, I wash". So, where does that end up? My mum, MIL looks after the kids AND does the cooking. While the cleaning up she takes such a long time they had to look after the kids until she is done so tt they can relieve them.

Right at the beginning i gave her a list of items she needs to have in the baby bag when we go out at all times. We reminded her to always bring tissue packs. But tdy, she asked me for tissue she wants to wipe my gal's mouth watever. I said, "dun u have tissue paper?' she said No, she didn bring out and That's it. OMG, am i petty or is she not understanding that she needs to have all essential items on hand?

She is also the first maid i've ever seen, that willjust stand at the side idly when there's lots of stuff she could have done if she had initiative. I have come to the conclusion that we have lost any confidence in her to do any chores or childminding that truly she's left to stand idly.

To be fair, she really tries and is hardworking (she doesn't lie or is lazy)but i believe when looking after young kids, it is impt to 'think logically' and act with initiative. She can't think on her feet and it makes me very upset that when i comeback from work i have to worry about my kids whether they r well taken care of. i guess this will be my first and last time i'd be getting a myanmar maid.

Copied from forum, Posted by: kereneI just want to share with you my 2 BAD experiences with the Myanmar maids I had!- 1st maid played with fire with my 6yo boy & I sent her back to agent --> saw agent's adv on her past 1-month experience with me and its all untrue - this maid merely stands still & watches me like a tv instead of helping my kids to school as advertised. And agent even puts my maid did daily marketing! well ... its a benefit for me as I don't have to pay so many days of food+lodging to agent. But this OPENS MY EYES on what good liars agents are when it comes to transfer maids.

- 2nd maid came and in less than 1 month she STOLE my husband's COINS! worse of all, the agent made untrue statement that my maid has SGD when I called agent to ask them check on the origins of these SGD coins.

I can't trust the agent anymore and don't think I should return the maid to agent because- agent can get new biz with my returned maid- maid doesn't feel remorseful (not even saying SORRY to me) when she admitted stealing after I pursue the $-matter on 2nd day- maid may get bolder and more experienced in 'know how to steal' from next employer

Finally I lodged a police report and sent the maid back to Myanmar. With her thumbprints taken in MOM, I doubt she will be able to return SIN for employment.

Copied from Forum, posted by: pinkdaisyI think I have enough of my maid already, she got attitude problem and yet always said is my mother's fault. Whenever my mother points out to her on what thing she has done is incorrect, she cannot take it, always argue or gets angry. And when she is angry, she will refuse to take dinner that day. I think she is too proud, has high pride, cannot take criticism. She never once said she is sorry. Once my friend saw her taking my son to wait for school bus at the bus stop, while crossing the road, she did not hold my son as she was talking on the phone. When I confronted her, she denied doing it totally. I dare to say that I have treated her well. She dun need to cook n yet she gets to eat all the delicious food my mother cooks. she has a room of her own n dun need to take care of my baby at night. She goes to sleep at 10pm and wakes up at 6.30am, I wakes up even earlier than her to go to work. She washes our clothes using washing machine and my mother also helps her with some of the housework. She is having a good life here and yet she is dissatisfied. I feel like sending her back home instead of allowing her to transfer.

Hi winter, I have been reading your blog for awhile. I understand your frustration. I have had 16 maids in the last 12 years. I also have a special needs son.

What you really need to do is to apply to AWWA Smiles which the only special needs child care in singapore. If you are staying far away, I am sorry, you have to move. This is the ONLY sustainable way to provide care for your daughter while you continue to work.

Hi! I have been to AWWA Smiles 2 years ago... the only special needs childcare suitable for my girl. As you've guessed, I'm staying too far. Initially, I planned to move to North area but after visiting, I was told even if I transferred my girl to AWWA, I have to wait for a vacancy at Smiles, which can take one year (my friend waited one year) or more. The hard news is, they found my girl quite unsuitable. Her behaviour, still wearing diapers and unable to obey instructions ... doesn't fit their 'basic' requirements so I've no choice but to employ maid ... the only sustainable way to provide care for my daughter while I work full time. Unbelievable? Well, I have tried, I failed!!

Don't give up. Just q first. I also q for 1.5 years before getting in. And also the part about your girl in diaper is not a good reason to say she is unsuitable. There are children and even teenagers there in diaper. The supervisor also changed already. Not the same lady anymore. Try again, at least get into the Q.

Temporary measures you can take while relying on FDWs are 1) install CCTV (about $100 per camera). 2)

As long as she is not violent, they should be able to accept her. Anyway, recently, the govt conducted a survey among parents in special school about the need for special needs child care. I think they may set up another one before the next general election. So if you are in the q in AWWA, there is a chance they may transfer you.

I was told no point queuing in AWWA Smiles if she's not a AWWA student, priority given to AWWA students. To be a student, my maid ended up got to send my child to a school that is so far away, daily, no school bus and we don't know the wait will take how long. I don't want to invest in expensive taxi trips or long travelling time. I'd rather wait for a Centre to be built, located near me. Rely on maid - timing much flexible, she can help with housework and the overall costs is MUCH cheaper than time + money spent to get into AWWA. I prefer a more confirmed plan then to be left dangling. I have a job to keep so really don't want to end up fire fighting.

In the survey form, the options for costs, I remembered I ticked the first, $501 onwards, remark indicated "Half day care shouldn't cost more than a maid's salary". My girl is not violent but the way Centre selects the ideal student to attend special needs childcare really put me off. Just show how selective and lack of support given by our govt.

She will bluff her way and swear by her words even she is caught red handed. She uses dish detergent to do laundry. She'll never brushes the clothes when doing laundry, all she does is to transfer all clothes to a pail of fresh water and rinse.

She will sleep in the day when no one is home.She will work super slowly so that she doesn't has to do more She will just splash water in the toilet & tell you that toilet has been cleaned upShe will not do the chore that are assigned without your presence

I wish to share with you on the maid problems which i face when i hire a full-time myanmar maid to take care my 2 month old baby in Apr 2014. She has work attitude problem and is unhappy when i instructs her nicely to wipe baby bottom properly and thoroughly after bb urines or poo poo. She has high ego and pride as she has university degree and does not like employer to instructs how to take care baby. She threatened to me that if I think she is not a good maid for our family, she told me to go to maid agency to change maid. She said she has experience of infant care as she used to take care 2 yr old kid and 8 mth old baby in her previous employer. She is also lazy when doing housework and does not wash toilet tiles and scrub the toilet floor cleanly. She only like to play and take care baby only and does not like to do spring-cleaning. She has previous bad employment history of changing 5 employers within her 3 yr employment in Singapore. I wish to highlight to you this so that you don't get conned or cheated to hire her. She always never completed her 2 yr contract with other employers and will use the reason/excuse that her mum is seriously ill and dying soon and she does not want to continue her employment with you. This myanmar maid is under Nations maid agency and her name is Hlaing Su Yin Kyaw from Myanmar Yangon.omh730774

I can say this is really a bad experience with Myanmar maid, my 1st 2 helper was a Filipino quite obedient and hardworking but too bad both can't get along well with my mum. :( 1st Filipino almost finished her contract but 2nd Filipino only worked with us for 9 months...So we had no choice the 3rd maid have to take in this Myanmar lady - transfer maid and with us since Oct'13.

The first few months I can say she was quite hardworking and listen to instructions but after she was granted her off days in April'14, things started to change... probably she had start getting her pay. She got herself a sony handphone which she told me is about $500+ (but her pay is less than $500 a mth??) I notice she also bought a few pair of high heel shoes and clothings. So whenever we brought our kids out, she will dress out nicely (try not to look like a maid) - reluctant to look after my kids... then what's the point of bringing her out cos she is supposed to take care of my kids and I was also at my 1st trimester of pregnancy. Things started to get worst for the nxt few months, when asked she din even know how to prepare a simple meal (lunch/dinner) so end up I have to cook...really pissed. For so many months, she can only do basic household chores and while doing her work she will be talking on the phone non-stop... what is this???

We have noticed something before we decided to send her home, she has been taking those Myanmar medication and been falling sick quite often starting in Jul'14... She vomited on a few occasions so I already suspected something but I din confront her just tell her to go see a GP but she insist on seeing her own Myanmar doctor in peninsula plaza so I let her go. When asked where is the receipt she told me dun have and say her friend had paid for the bill (which is about $600+). I just closed my eyes until things turn up really bad...When talking to her she got no respect to the employer as if you are invisible cos she just keep on talking on the phone..

I have got a replacement filipino maid when my elder twin was admitted to hospital due to high fever cos we have decided to let her go at that point of time and ask her to stay in hospital with my kid (nurses even told me they saw her bringing a guy to the ward behaving intimately, I confronted her but she denied) Until my elder twin was discharged, the nxt few days we din even mention anything or giving her any notice but on the day itself we just ask her to pack her luggage as we told her the work permit is cancelled and we are sending her to the airport straight away. She was in a blank for awhile and din expect we will do this (frankly speaking she deserve it, taking us employer for granted all this while - thot she can have good life staying here but we know she is a time bomb, who knows she will just MIA during my confinement time and I will have difficult times by then).

My advice to all who are getting a maid - if possible try not to get Myanmar maid cos they are really out of control and do things their way and like to tell lies... especially those young ones they will lie about their age and try to get in Singapore just to work as maids. My judgement is wrong, I thot by getting a plump and not pretty maid, they will not do anything like this but the things she do can left you speechless...joyjoy_1408

I get angry when people kept saying we employers are not sensitive to the needs of our maids and that we should be more kind and humane. My myanmar maid could not do a thing, cannot communicate even in simple english (eg: does not know "Pot", "box") and is very forgetful. I later found out that she is actually only 16, with faked passport obviously. She also told me (in bits and pieces and through drawings) that she only attended school for 4 years as her family is so very poor. I wanted to send her back but she begged for a chance to work and earn some money. So I relented and tried to teach her english, cooking, geography (she doesn't know the concept of country) and loved her like my own daughter. We had a birthday bash for her and I bought her nice things cos I don't have a daughter. But people are such that when you love them and are kind to them, they tend to climb over your head. Sad. I must admit that at times she tried my patience to the limits. Being distracted and playful, when on a trip to Malaysia, she left a bag that she was supposed to be carrying behind. I scolded her in the taxi. When we arrived in singapore, she told me that she is not happy with me. Her mother spoke very softly to her and never scolded her. Obviously, she expects to be paid a salary fo $450 per month plus expects princess treatment. Obviously at 16, she is too immature to be able to take stress of any type and she misses her mummy. So really, all this talk about maid abuse and all that. I wonder what "abuse" really means. ....

Extracted this from a forum....WP No. : 0 92844536Name of Worker : MAY ZIN AUNGOut of goodwill, we give her the benefit of doubt and employed her despite the fact that she had changed 7 employers within 2 years and we (hopefully) are her last employer in Singapore. Surprisingly, shouldn't MOM ban those domestic helper who had changed more than 3 employers per year ? Isn't the maid levy we had paid are for maintaining the quality of domestic helper ?

MAY ZIN AUNG is neither a pleasant nor hardworking person. Always finding easy way out. Quick-witted I would say, she can always find all sort of reason to support the mistake she had done. We understand they are from rural area and uneducated therefore we had always been very forgiving with them, we never blame them for the damage they had done (eg. broke the sword of "Guan Yu"....etc.) Unfortunately, she repay us with all her lies and bad attitude.

On her 3rd day of work with us, she came crying to us saying her father had passed on and wishes to return back to her hometown. Her agent stopped her, claiming that since she knew that her father was badly ill then why she still came to work in Singapore. After that she continue her employment with us for around 2 months then she came crying to us again saying her mother had admitted hospital and insisted in returning back to her hometown. Coincidentally, both incidents occur on a sunny Sunday afternoon and on her off day. We informed her agent and she rushed down to our place to clarify with MAY ZIN AUNG. According to the agent, all along she was lying because MAY ZIN AUNG do not want to repay the money (Est. S$1600) that she owed her agent. Her agent pleaded her to work for us for another 1 month so as to replay her loan but MAY ZIN AUNG refused. The agent threatened to send her to police station, surprisingly MAY ZIN AUNG was fearless and even threatened back the agent that if they insisted her to continue her employment with us she will just sit in our house and do NOTHING. We have 2 young children (9 & 5 years old), we cannot take the risk of her harming our children. I requested the agent to bring her back and purchased air ticket to send her back to her hometown.

During her stay with us, she was not a co-operative person. She do not follow our instruction, do everything her own way. Whenever we corrected her mistake she will talked back to us. Told her that our youngest one has eczema and has to bath twice a day than must apply moisturizer. Whenever my child asked her to help to shower she will claimed that she was extremely busy. According to my children she was always busy washing toilet or stay in the toilet most of the time. Our instruction was to wash the toilet only once a week. When I questioned her why didn't bath and apply moisturizer for the kids her answer to me will be," I had forgotton !" After her departure and I had to take over the household chores then I discovered the mop was super filthy. The moment you dip the mop into clear clean water, the water immediately turn black. It took me 2 days to bleach and wash the mop. Every night busy messaging or playing her mobile phone then in the morning couldn't wake up, yet she still has the cheek to complain to us that every morning she has to wake up early. We, employer, woke up the same time (6am) as her yet always the last to sleep and she was behaving like a boss in our house.

From the employment of two consecutive FDW from Myanmar, my advice is NOT to employ FDW from that region . The MM maids are UNTRTAINED and all have deplorable attitude problems. Most do not serve the full 2-year term, always citing over worked, not enough food, ill treatment OR most commonly, someone is ill or has died in Myanmar.

There is an agency that is so accommodating to FDWs from that region that the FDWs are not afraid of firing the employer hardly into service, or messing up the good stuff in the house . They all have been cued how to play tricks to annoy employer and to act blur and pretend to be stupid. This agency is on the highest floor of Pen. Plaza. Look out for the smooth talking and reference to past charity Christian work.

Myanmar maids should be banned. We had 2 and they all lied about their educational status and age. Their ignorance, greediness to get rich quick has caused employers great troubles and inconvenienced. Yes, do banned them until they learned that Singapore is not a place for them to get rich quick easily.

I used to think that having problems with maids are other people's problems and not mine as I used to have good maids when my son is growing up. Until I employed this underaged Myanmar maid in September 2014. Though I cared for her, feed her, house her in her own room, paid her $450 per month, with 2 days off, daily free from 1pm to 6pm to do her own things or sleep, she brought me pain and unhappiness only 9 months into her job.

I would like to know if there is an ASSOCIATION FOR SINGAPOREAN MAID EMPLOYERS? Just like maids got their activists, Humanitarian Organisation for Migrant Economics and lots of Myanmarese people around EVEN IN MOM to champion their causes, do we have anyone to champion our grievances and help us seek a redress?

MM FDWs in general are not good domestic workers in Singapore. They are more like spoilt children who do not know how to clean house properly, cannot cook, spend much time on the handphone, and change employers every few months. Proof of this can be found on website of "MyHelper", an agency specializing in MM FDWs. Take the time to view the interviews and do not believe that the new fdws can speak English. They merely regurgitate what has been fed to them by agent. The man agent protects them and lies about their ability to work just to pass on these girls to unsuspecting employers. BEWARE. BEWARE.

Unfortunately, there is no association of any sort to protect employers. Many years ago, someone did try to register such an association but was turned down by the registrar of associations. No reasons were given. I read about this in a forum that has since closed.

Agreed to One Off day - no work on every Sunday and half day on every Sat from 5pm onwards. Even that with Salary of SGD450 per month, it DIN'T STOP my maid from saying "you din't give me my off day because I din't get to go out shopping and see Singapore".

Me: But you din't work ! you slept, you watch movies on the computer, you listen to songs and learn english, you went out with us of your free will and we ate good food at restaurants etc, no housework, you watched movies with us!Maid: "yes, but I din't get to go out with MY FRIENDS. Also you din't pay me for the 1st 6 months". Me: That's your loan lar...see you already signed here... I also asked you to go out with the christian maid next door...Maid: "But mam, I don't like Mila. I don't know go out myself. Mam no pay me 6 month money" Me: There you signed on it already.(roll eyes). Paid to agent already. (show receipt from agent) After your loan you get cash (show currency) you take already..see? You signed here you take already..Maid: I don't know. I no understand lar... What loan? I no understand. I want go Yangon..My heart weak. I cannot work. I cannot clean toilet. I work from 7am to 1pm. (point to the clock) 1pm - I no work. I think I am going to die. (cries pitifully) Me: you are alone at home from 7am to 4pm when my son comes home from school. You can rest and sleep in between if you are tired. You do sleep in the afternoons so why so tired?You tired you go out take a walk in the park then you won't feel like dying...Maid: I think I am going to die. I don't want a transfer. I want to work Yangon and be clothes designer. I don't like housework. I don't like to cook. I no like park. I like clothes. i want to go home. I want to home today. Me: Must see if got aeroplane (show picture of aeroplane) go Myanmar or not today. At least one week (show calendar dates) you must wait. Call your mother to tell her you are coming home. No running around in Yangon with your friends. wait you ended up in a brothel. (show the word "brothel" and myanmar translation)Maid: (Screaming in anger and throwing temper tantrums) I no call mother father. I no go home to father mother. I go Yangon. I stay with friends. (banged table, threw the chair, sat on floor and kicked legs like a naughty toddler, crying as I dialed the number for her to talk.)Me: okok. (I put the telephone down) I buy ticket now. Now. Maid: Ok (smiled) thank you mam.

All truth and nothing but the truth..this IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. (not the full story yet) She did something worse later as we were happily waiting for the date of departure.

2nd - Ex-sg, can speak slight better english, but work less than 24 hours told me to send her back to agency said she cannot handle!!!!

Anyway, i lost $$$ and really very disappointed with these mynnmar, bad attitude, cannot work, low quality and completely pretending and act blur.

Step into my house less than an hour already requesting for wi-fi, both same.Imagine i give last minutes notice. Seeing her pack the thing, never leave for even a second. Only let her go toilet n change. Guess where she keep the hp... Samsung -big screen.

I knew it later and i asked another maid. Where n how can it be? Keeping it under her bra near her chest.

Each maid that left me let me learn something. I learn new rule n way to monitor things. Even it look tired, but since no choice i learn to accept it. Along the way, I got a good helper for 5 yrs who also end with some drama.

NGOs and MOM made us feel guilty as if we violated human rights of the maids. It's OUR HOME, OUR RIGHTS. Period. Beside, what wrong with protecting my home, my kids, THE MOST IMPORTANT is MY VALUE -integrity, honest. No one own them a living. Poor does not mean a person can steal to buy a hp.Emm unless NGO tell me hp can solve the issue.

(I) ban on myanmar maids totally(ii) de-license errant maid agencies who are dishonest and bring in underaged and untrained maids. No need warning. They should do due diligence check(iii) Impose monetary penalties on maids who misbehave and purposefully break contract for frivolous reasons like 'don't like to work with employer, home sick, don't like looking after children etc".

Hi all, my former myanmese maid by name MYO PaPa aged 24/25yo who asked to return to her home country after 13mo mid-dec 2015. Bought her an air ticket for the next day and did a quick check of her personal belongings before she left, she took a pair of diamond earrings, a gold chain, and money too. She did not admit initially she stole the diamond jewellery until I brought her to the jeweller for verification in front of her. Was not at all apologetic and no sense of remorse. The gold chain was returned to us after we came back from the jeweller. Went to police with the evidence but did not lodge the report as the process of investigation according to the police takes time (the police saw the evidence and asked me whether they need to go down with me back home should she turn uncontrollable). After considering that I have already cancelled the work permit after buying the air ticket, and did not want see more of her, I sent her straight to the airport. At the airport, she still maintained her straight face with no remorse before check in and during check in.

There's no way I can blacklist her at MOM except for being a character referee.

Guess what she has just submitted her request to work in Singapore again as per the Url.

http://253.mm.netmaid.com.sg/253/1451544510/371929p.jpg

On a separate note, she is also not 24/25yo as claimed. She is only 18yo as she told us when she came to work in our household. She only did general housecleaning, did not look after 2yo and no marketing as claimed in her latest bio data. Bio data - Date of Birth 04/05/1990 (age: 25 yrs)Place of Birth KYEPWEHeight/Weight 156 cm / 50 kgExperience EX -SingaporeRef: CL011

Please do not consider employing her as she may return to her stealing habits

Totally agree they cannot make it. Myanmar agent taught them if employee don't agree ask for transfer. My maid Biak HC said. English is zero but arrogant after a few months. Ask her to clean door she clean wall. When asked to clean car, pull Long face. My hubby used to do it but has an Opn recently so ask her to clean but throw tantrum. Break my stuff n breach our clothes to show anger. Cook n eat herself so poor hubby eats bread. Can't wait to kick her home tomorrow. Remember Singaporeans we are better off. without them. Don't waste money n put our loved ones to danger. If my hubby can be mistreated cannot imagine this kids n old folks. I has enough of them.

Winter, thanks for setting this blog to let her air our grievance. I enjoyed it a lot. So sad that we do not Hv parental support and Hv to rely to them. All Filipinos some of which are really good like Mylene and Maria though Maroa got out of hand after 23 years and speak louder then her boss. This Myanmar was a really wrong decision and Arthur the agent is a big liar.

Thanks for sharing here. I do have the urge to try Myanmar but being a blogger trying to gather FDWs info and upload here, I surf a lot and realise Myanmeses not only have language barrier but could be hard to live with, not that easy to manage them. I hope there's one day I can kick FDW out and no more FDWs in my life.

A FDW allows me to hold a full time job and she is required to care for my girl. As long as I have a special needs teen and govt isn't keen to help by giving me a day care centre, there's no way I can be free from their clutches +feeding the agencies.